Almost
by dauntlessbybirth
Summary: Tris Prior must pick up the pieces of her life after her parents' untimely death. With Caleb away at school and no one to care for her except her best friend, Christina, Tris manages to get a job at a bar in town to make ends meet until Caleb's graduation. But what happens when she starts falling for a bartender with a troubled past?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

TRIS POV

I don't hate serving. I don't particularly enjoy it, but I don't hate it. It puts a good amount of money in my hand every night and there's job security in food service, especially in a big city like Chicago. My dream has always been to go to school and get a degree in criminal justice, but that just isn't quite realistic yet. My dreams went on the back burner when mom and dad passed. Caleb tried to tell me that I shouldn't give up just so he could go to school. We only got enough money from the settlement for one of us to go and this had been his dream for so long that I couldn't take it away from him. He needed this.

"Beatrice." He had said in his best big brother voice. "You have to think of the family, but you also have to think about yourself." I hated when he called me Beatrice, and as much as I wish he could have been right, he just wasn't. It's been two years since he left for Stanford on a partial scholarship. I miss and think about him every day, but this is what I had to do for my brother to be happy.

After he left, I lived on my own for a while, but I became lonely. So when one of my regulars at work noticed that I had been looking extra down on a slow night, she asked me if I wanted to sit and talk. Normally I wouldn't bother my customers with my problems, its kind the opposite of what is supposed to happen. But Christina has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I just needed to get it off my chest.

"It's really not a big deal. My older brother is off at college pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering and my parents passed about a year ago. I sort of wake up in the morning, come to work, go to the gym here and there, go home to sleep and start over. It gets monotonous after a while." I'm surprised at how quickly the words flow out of my mouth, like they had just been freed from a prison. One I built inside of myself.

"Well, it doesn't seem like 'not a big deal' to me! It sounds like you're lonely. Do you even like working here?" Sometimes I forget how perceptive Christina can be. She has a tendency to be a little self-absorbed, but who can blame her? She is still in her early 20's and is an accomplished journalist for the Chicago Tribune. She's somewhat short but still thin with striking features and that I imagine catch the eyes of guys in the room pretty often. She's never been interested though. Her boyfriend Will takes up her attention.

"I don't hate it, but the hours are terrible and business is slow. I also don't really know anyone who works here." I tell her.

"Well, if you had the opportunity to work somewhere in the middle of the city, would you take it? It would be way busier and I have a friend who works at a bar downtown! He could probably get you in. They're always looking for more help. And then I wouldn't have to drive so far out to see you anymore!" She gets more excited as she tells me more and more details.

"Wow! I didn't realize I was such a burden to you!" I tease. "But it doesn't matter anyway. I can't afford to live in the city and the commute would be too much, especially after long closes at a busy bar." Even now, I don't get home most nights until after 1. A bar in the city wouldn't close until 2 and after finishing my outs and driving home, it would be close to 4 before I could even lay eyes, let alone my whole body on a bed.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm looking for a new roommate! Ever since Marlene moved in with Uriah, I've been lonely too and the rent is a little much for me right now. Please Tris! You have to move in. I'll talk to Uriah tomorrow about getting you an interview. I think you really need this!" The more I think about it, she does have a point. I'm just not happy with my current situation and it's not going to get any better unless I do something about it.

"Okay!" I half shout, half sigh. "I guess there's no harm in at least checking it out. Let your friend know that I'm interested. BUT, I'm not going to move in unless I get the job. Understand?" But it's pretty obvious she's already not listening. She pulls out her phone and begins furiously texting Uriah. I can't help but laugh and shake my head.

As overwhelming as Christina can be, she really does always look out for me. I hear a table across the restaurant complain that their waters are almost empty, so I tap the table twice to let Christina know I'll be right back without talking, like she would hear me anyway. On the way back, I grab Christina's check. I don't ring in her drinks, just a pop for today. She normally doesn't drink on nights when she has to be at work the next day and nobody will know. People get free refills for goodness sake. There's no way to tell if her Pepsi isn't rang in.

"Okay, Uriah is going to talk to his manager tonight! He's kind of a dick, but he said as long as you have experience and aren't a total moron, you should be good! This is so great Tris! You need more excitement in your life. We are going to have so much fun in the city. I can't wait!" Her words are a blur and if I didn't know Christina well enough and know how to understand her fast speech, I would say she's just making sound.

"Remember, I have to get the job first before anything happens! I need to be responsible. It's not like I have a lot of money to throw around." I say as I set down her check.

"Whatever, everything will be fine. Uriah knows what he's doing." She places a sleek black credit card in the book without even looking at the total. I narrow my eyes at her while I pick the book up to take it to the register. As I swipe her card, I see that I got sat with a 4 top at table 44. I drop off her check and say my goodbyes to Christina before I go over to greet my new table. It's a regular group of late night-ers. They look about nineteen or twenty and only have enough money for a few appetizers and a 14% tip. I would probably be more annoyed, but this is a pretty usual crowd for late night.

The rest of the night goes pretty smoothly, but I'm definitely feeling exhausted as I lock the front door and start to work my outs. As I'm entering my tips into the computer for the night, I realize I never went back to Christina's table to pick up her check. I open the book to find that she has left her usual 30% tip. I've tried to tell her a million times that she doesn't have to do that, she doesn't even really need to tip me at all, but she insists because not only are we friends, but this is how I make my living. But today, I notice she didn't take the guest copy of the receipt. I consider giving it to her the next time I see her, she likes to keep them just in case, but there is a small note written on the bottom.

"You have an interview Saturday afternoon at 2 with Max. The bar is called 'Dauntless'".

"Dauntless, huh?" I ask myself. It has a certain ring to it, but even just reading the name I already wonder if I'll fit in, but I guess I won't know until Saturday at 2.

It doesn't take me long to finish my outs tonight with how slow it has been. I ask the kitchen crew and the manager if they need anything else from me. Not really because I feel like helping, but to let them know that I'm done and to make it seem like I'm interested in helping them go home faster. As they do every night, they tell me not to worry about it and to enjoy the rest of my night. I leave the restaurant and shove the measly $54 I made in my 7 hour shift into my pocket. As I get into my car, I consider texting Caleb to let him know about my upcoming job opportunity, but decide against it. He's likely studying for some big test or out partying with some of his college friends. Either way, he doesn't need to know about it unless it becomes a real opportunity.

As I pull onto the highway, exhaustion starts to hit. Unlike most other jobs, serving keeps you on your feet. Even though the drive home only takes ten minutes, it feels like an hour. I finally pull up to my apartment and let my head rest on the steering wheel for just a moment before slowly making my way to the door. My apartment isn't huge, a one bedroom with a small kitchen and a bathroom. I was given just enough settlement money to get me started before handing the rest over to Caleb for his education. He begged me time and time again to reconsider. He kept saying that we could make it work and that I shouldn't give up. But I didn't give up, I'm just waiting. I'm waiting for my turn to follow my dreams. In the long run I think Caleb was just worried that I would grow to resent him, like he was leaving me behind. I don't resent him, I just envy him and I'm smart enough to know the difference and not let it get to me.

When I walk into my apartment, I immediately notice the picture of my parents on the fridge. It isn't framed, and I kind of like it that way. It's the last picture I remember taking of them before they left for their road trip that day. They were so excited to finally have a vacation for just the two of them. If I had only known that minutes after pulling out of our driveway a drunk driver would hit their car, I could have saved them. If only anyone had known.

Unfortunately, the past is the past, and there is nothing that can be done about it now. I take off my work clothes and throw them into the laundry basket in the corner of my bedroom. I walk in the bathroom and for the first time in a long time, my reflection in the mirror surprises me. I actually look tired. I let my blonde hair out of the pony tail it has been in since earlier today and sigh. The more I think about it, the more I think Christina is right. I can't keep living alone and throwing a pity party for myself. I need to take Caleb's advice and do what's right for me. Well sort of. I'll need to put together a resume for Saturday and come up with the normal "server interview" questions.

How do you feel you handle yourself in a stressful situation? Have you ever been responsible for training new servers? Sell me you favorite drink. While my answers to the questions will matter, what matters the most is my experience. You could give the best answers, but without two years of previous pay stubs, it doesn't really matter.

I finally crawl into bed around 115 and hope that sleep comes quickly tonight. I only have three days until my interview. Three days until my new life in the city can start. It's starting to sound better and better the more I think about it.

 **A.N. Hello readers! I hope you liked my first chapter. I'm going to tell you right now that this story half lets me create a cool AU for our favorite Divergent characters, but also lets me rant about my job. I constantly find myself wondering how Tris and Four would handle the situations I get into at work because some of them are just plain weird….Anyway, let me know what you think! I'm not going to expect reviews or anything, but the more I have, the more motivated I'll be to write.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

TRIS POV

Saturday come a lot faster than I expected. Christina took half of Friday off to help me go clothes shopping for my interview. It was difficult, as always. I keep having to remind her that I'm going to a job interview, not going to the actual bar for a drink. She finally concedes and we settle on a tight fitting purple blouse with a sleek black blazer, tight black dress pants, and black flats.

"And you should definitely wear your hair down for the interview instead of in that god awful bun you always have it in!" A clear look of disgust crosses her face.

"Hey! I like the bun. It keeps my hair out of my eyes." I tell her.

"Promise me Tris. You stand out more when your hair is down". Sometimes, I find it just easier to give in with her.

"Alright, alright. But we're going to talk about how you don't think I stand out later! Some friend you are!" I laugh anyway knowing she is probably right.

As I walk up to Dauntless, I'm instantly overcome with an anxiety I didn't originally have. The building doesn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of the city. It has a classic feel to it, with a real wooden structure painted a dark black with a golden trim that stands out in a unique way from the cold steel buildings that surround it. Dauntless is written above the door in shiny gold, but antique looking letters. I slowly push the door open to find a mostly empty bar, save a few lunch regulars. It's pretty standard for a Saturday afternoon. Most of the lunch crowd has already left and they won't be expecting a dinner rush for a few more hours.

Behind the bar is a girl with short black hair and a small nose ring.

"Hello, my name is Tris. I have a meeting with Max today." I inform her. She simply nods her head and turns to walk into the back room. I'm only slightly bothered by her cold exterior. I turn around and look at the rest of the bar while I wait for Max to come out. It has a rustic feel to it. The interior is mostly wood with sections of exposed brick on the walls. Pictures hang on the walls and, by closer examination; I see that they are signed by famous people who must have visited at one time or another. There is a certain classic feel to the place that is only disrupted by the clean, sleek black bar with blue and purple lighting on the array of bottles that line the wall.

"You must be Tris." I turn around to see a man dressed in an all black suit with a skinny white tie. "I'm Max, the general manager here at Dauntless. This is Eric." He gestures to an incredibly unfriendly looking individual with an eyebrow ring next to him wearing jeans and a dark grey button up. It's now evident that piercings are acceptable here, not that it really makes a difference to me. I don't even have my ears pierced. I immediately feel uncomfortable by his presence. "He is the service and bar manager here. If hired, he'll technically be your first boss. I'm more of his boss. He is going to be sitting in on your interview today, but I'll be asking a majority of the questions. Let's get started."

We sit at a small table in a corner of the bar. A few minutes later, the bar tender brings a few glasses of water for Max, Eric, and myself. I take a large gulp and realize just how thirsty I am. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?

"Well Tris," Max starts, "tell us a little about yourself."

"Okay. My full name is Beatrice Prior. I'm twenty-two years old and I have been serving for about two years now. My first job is listed on my resume here," I say while pointing to the paper. "I've slowly worked my way up to a main closer and my managers there generally give me more duties that would be characteristic of a head server." I start to get nervous as both Max and Eric seem uninterested in what I have to say. "Ummm…" I continue. "I think I'm a generally hard worker and am always on time-"

"Tell us about a time when you had to do something incredibly dangerous at work." Eric interrupts.

"Excuse me?" The question immediately catches me off guard. Why would they want to know something like this? What does this have to do with my experience?

"You heard me. Tell me about a time when you had to do something incredibly dangerous at work"

I take a few moments and decide to tell them about the time we had to chase a man down outside the store after he had taken a servers change purse right out of her hands. Depending on how much she had in cash sales that night, it could have been around $200.

"Did you catch him yourself?" This time it's Max who asks about the story.

"Well, yeah I did." I reply. Still confused by the original question to begin with. "But if you don't mind me asking. What does this have to do with my serving experience?"

"Tris, I don't know if you can tell, but here at Dauntless we kind of have a certain image we're looking to maintain. We want to create a staff that can help portray this image. Wanna be night clubs are popping up all over the place with their trash electronic dance music and flashy lights. The only way we can maintain a true bar scene while making a profit is to have servers that live, breath, and eat Dauntless. That's why we ask this question."

Although it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me at first, I realize that I need to show them that I am Dauntless to get this job. The interview goes on in a similar fashion with me talking about past work experiences and them asking questions that seem to have nothing to do with really anything. After what seems like hours, Max and Eric go into a back room to discuss the interview. I'm left at the table alone to wait. I consider pulling out my phone to text Christina and tell her how the interview is going so far, but I don't want to risk them coming back to see me texting. Talk about unprofessional.

So I chose instead to lose myself in my thoughts, but even that turns out to be unsuccessful when he walks in.

He carries himself with a certain confidence you don't see in most people. He's wearing the same style outfit that the other bartender had on. A plain black t-shirt with dark wash denim jeans, but he's wearing a leather jacket and dark aviators that I assume aren't part of his work uniform. He takes off his jacket and sunglasses to reveal the most blue eyes I've ever seen. They aren't blue in a normal way, they seem deeper a deeper blue than most, and I'm instantly lost. When he takes off the leather jacket, I can tell that he has a muscular build. The t-shirt he's wearing clings tightly to his biceps and hangs somewhat loosely around his stomach area.

As he walks pass the table I'm currently occupying, our eyes meet for a split second.

"You okay there Stiff?" He asks in a deep voice.

"Four. You're late." Four? Is that really his name? "Molly was supposed to be off my clock fifteen minutes ago." I turn to see that Eric has returned from the back, hopefully with good news.

"My shift is scheduled to start at 330." He says very matter-of-factly. "It's 315 now, which makes me early. If you can't remember your own schedule, you probably shouldn't be writing it."

I'm actually shocked when he talks to Eric like that. It's like he has a death wish, but his speech never falters.

"Whatever, just get to work and help Molly finish opening the bar. I'm still your manager, remember." Eric retorts. It seems like an odd thing to say, especially to someone who just proved you wrong. But I shrug it off, and turn to look at my glass of water again. I probably shouldn't have witnessed the scene in the first place, I mean I'm technically not even the new girl yet. They stare each other down for a few minutes more before Four turns and continues his walk to the bar. Eric wears a smug grin, obviously thinking he is the victor in the battle, but I'm not convinced.  
"Well Tris, it seems Max saw something in you, but I'm not sure what." I'm starting to dislike him more and more. "So you've got the job. You start training on Monday. You'll spend most of your training with Lauren, but you'll have to spend at least one day with the head bartender to make sure you understand what's going on with the alcohol. This is a bar after all." It seems like a pretty standard training schedule. "As you hopefully noticed, the uniform is a black t-shirt with denim jeans. The exact style of the shirt doesn't really matter as long as it's black with no writing or pictures. Like all servers, you'll make $3.10 an hour and your tips will be given to you in cash at the end of the night. Claim all your tips. Or don't. But we won't protect you if the IRS comes kicking your door down. Got it?" It takes me a few moments to realize that this is when I'm supposed to speak.

"Of course! Thank you so much! I'll be here on Monday in uniform and all." I can't believe I actually got the job. We finish up by filling out some paper work and Eric gives me a menu and a training manual.

Eric leaves to go yell at some unsuspecting line cook in the kitchen and I walk back to the restroom before leaving. As I walk in, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Christina to call me when she gets a free moment. Before walking out, I look in the mirror.

"YES. I DID IT." I shout, somewhat surprising myself. I had known I really wanted to get this job, but I hadn't realized it that much! It will be nice to get out of my apartment and move in with Christina and start making new friends. I exit the bathroom and start to walk out the front door.

"See you later Stiff". I hear from behind me. I turn to see Four wiping down the bar rail with a rag. "Goodbye Four. See you Monday". He's not looking at me anymore, so I'm not entirely sure he hears me. I find myself wishing he would look up again so I can see his blue eyes one more time. But after a few seconds, I can see my wish isn't going to be granted.

The minute I step outside, my phone rings and the caller ID shows Christina's picture.

"Hey Christina! I'm going to need some help packing. I start on Monday, which means I only have one day to get everything moved in! Wanna help out your new roomie?"

I take her excited squeal as a yes before diving into the details of the interview and my new job at Dauntless.

 **A.N. I guess I could ask for reviews again, but right now my plan is to not start publishing until I at least have five chapters written. I know I have a tendency to not read fics if they have only a chapter or two. So this entire AN is kinda redundant. OKAY BYE. PS, this is not how my interview at my current job went at all. Although, my GM did ask me to tell him about my favorite TV show….which is Doctor Who…but that's about it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N A new day, a new serving shift.**

TRIS POV

We spend all of Sunday boxing up my things and moving them from my old one bedroom apartment in the suburbs to Christina's luxurious three bedroom in the city. Sunday night after we have everything packed into the moving truck, I went into the old restaurant to put in my two week notice. I let my manager, Dustin, know that I had found a new job in the city and I would be moving this weekend.

"Well Tris, I can't say I'm entirely surprised. Henry put in his notice a few days ago as well." I instantly feel the guilt wash over me. Henry was another strong closing server and with me leaving now, I don't want to leave them short staffed. The restaurant, while slow with shitty hours, has always provided for me and management has taken care of me. "But it says here in your notice that your new job starts Monday? How are you going to keep that up while you work the rest of your time here?" Dustin asks.

The truth is that I'm not entirely sure. "Well, I told the management at Dauntless that I would still need to work my last two weeks here, which of course they understood." Most restaurants do. "So they are going to put me on a slower training track so that my shifts don't clash too much." It's still not going to be easy. I'll be working close to 70 hours a week for the next two weeks. At this, Dustin looks a little uncomfortable.

"You should call them and let them know that you can start full time on Monday." I'm a little surprised and I know it reads on my face. Did I just get fired for putting in my two weeks? Can that even happen? He must notice how hurt I look. "No, no, no! I'm not firing you, it's just that…Okay it's not like it's a big secret. The restaurant is failing Tris. I can barely pay the servers I have and having one less on the roster might actually help." There's that wash of guilt again. "You can always use me as a reference and of course we would consider you re-hireable. Don't take this as a bad thing. This way you can start your new job and won't have to worry about driving all the way out here to make shit money." I can tell he really means it, and honestly, my biggest concern thus far has been not blowing the reference. Had I left without putting in my two weeks, I might as well have been unemployed for the last two years.

"Alright, but if you need any shifts covered in the next two weeks, just give me a call. I really don't mind." It really wouldn't bother me. The trouble with starting a new serving job is that you generally don't make tips right out of the gate. You do a week or two of training and then there's generally a schedule after your training that you're not on, just in case you need more training days. After you pass your training, you're scheduled for the next week. It's kind of a money suck, sitting around waiting for a training paycheck when you used to walk home with cash every night. I say my final goodbyes to Dustin and the staff hanging around before finally leaving.

Christina's apartment already feels like a new home, even before I have everything moved in. We probably won't get everything out of boxes today, but she swears that having a couple boxes around while I get settled in at the new job doesn't bother her. The apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Christina's bedroom is the master with an attached bathroom and a huge walk-in closet that she has overflowing with clothes she probably doesn't even know she has. The next bedroom over, she has been using as her home office. It has a desk, neatly organized with small stacks of paper, pens of all colors for editing, and sticky notes that correspond to the pen colors. In the corner of the room is an elliptical, a couple of yoga mats, and a few small dumbbells.

"You can use my little home gym whenever you want! I normally work in the office with my headphones in anyway, so I swear it won't bother me!" She says in her normal light-speed talk. I might actually take her up on the offer, at least until I can find a new gym to go to here in the city.

The next bedroom a little ways down the hall is where I will call my new home. It's just far enough from Christina's bedroom that it offers some resemblance of privacy. The office and my bedroom are separated by a bathroom with a stand up shower, small sink, and toilet.

"This is your bathroom! It's normally just a guest bathroom, but I figure you can make it your new home base!" It's the perfect size. I generally don't spend a whole lot of time doing make-up or styling my hair anyway. It just ends up rubbed off from tired eyes and my hair smells like food by the end of the night anyway.

My new bedroom had been used as both a guest bedroom and Christina's overflow closet up until now. And aside from her boyfriend, who's name I learn is Will and probably stays with her in her room anyway, I don't think she has too many guests over. It's a good sized room complete with a smaller closet, not exactly a walk-in. There was already a queen sized bed that Christina told me I could use, mostly because she didn't want to get rid of it and moving my bed from one place to another would still be kind of a hassle. Overall, I'm really happy with my new space. After getting most of the essentials unpacked, Christina leaves me alone to get ready for bed. She has to be at work early in the morning and I know today has already worn her out.

"If you need anything Tris, just let me know. Goodnight roomie!" She says before turning to walk back down the hall to her own room.

"You too. Thank you again Christina. I don't know what I would have done without you." I turn around and realize she is already gone. I look around my room and decide that this is enough unpacking for today. I need to be well rested for my first day of training tomorrow at Dauntless. I start going through my clothes and pull out pajama pants and a sports bra to wear to bed. I realize that I can't go to bed until one last thing is in place in my room. I find the picture of my parents and decide that it should go on my nightstand, that way they are the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see before I go to bed.

I look at the clock as see that it is almost 12:45 in the morning. After doing some quick math, I decide that I should call Caleb and let him know that I'm settled in. With it being a Sunday night, I assume that he is home and in his room, likely getting ready for a day of classes tomorrow.

The phone rings a few times before he picks up.

"Hey Beatrice, how's the move going?" He immediately asks.

"Don't call me that. You know I hate my full name. And it's going very well. I really like Christina's apartment and I think I'm really going to like this new job. I haven't met Christina's friend Uriah yet, but he must have said some good words about me to get me hired on the spot. I start training tomorrow."

"You know you don't have to do this." I hate when Caleb brings this up. He knows that the only way for me to quit my job and go back to school is if he drops out, and that is definitely not an option. But he's constantly telling me that this isn't something I have to do.

"Yes I do Caleb. And that's fine with me. I like serving." Nobody ever said I was the most honest person on the planet. "Besides, this is real life experience dealing with real people. It's going to help me in the long run. You need to focus on school so that when you're a big time engineer for some medical company, you can pay for my school. Got it?" He knows I would never actually let him pay for my school, but in a lot of ways I think telling him this makes him feel better, like he can owe me something for my own sacrifice.

"You got it Tris. But anyway, keep telling me about this new job! You said you hadn't met Uriah yet. Do you know anyone that works there? How does management seem? What do you think your hours are going to be like? Do the customers seem like good people?" He starts firing off question after question. Leave it to Caleb to always be curious about something that doesn't affect him in any way. He's never really had a job before, so this is all new territory for him.

"Woah, slow down! I don't know anything about the customers, I only went in for an interview. I assume the hours will be mostly nights, it is a bar after all, although they will be open for lunch. Management seems fine. They asked me a couple odd questions during my interview, but I didn't think much of it. The only problem I might have is with the service manager, Eric. He seems like kind of an ass. He's the kind of guy that wants everyone to be constantly reminded that he's in charge and no one else is or ever will be. And the only other two people I met were the morning bar tender who literally didn't say a word to me and one of the night bartenders, Four." I mentally recheck in my mind to make sure I answered the rapid fire of questions Caleb had spit out.

"Four?" He asks. "What kind of name is that?" It figures that out of everything I just said, Caleb is worried about this guy's name.

"Yeah, I don't know. We didn't really get to talk all that much. I saw Eric yell at him over a misunderstanding. He sort of said hi to me when he walked in and then said goodbye when I left. But he did call me Stiff, which I can only assume is some kind of mean nickname for the new person." Come to think of it, I don't think I actually told him my real name. I make a note of it to nip this 'Stiff' thing in the bud.

"Well, whatever. As long as you're happy. Hey, I actually need to get off the phone. I have a huge differential equations exam tomorrow." He says this like I'm supposed to know what it means. "Love you Beatrice."

"Tris. And love you too Caleb." He hangs up the phone and I know that will probably be the last time I talk to him for the next few months. I try my best not to bother him too much while he is at school. After finishing up the rest of my night time routine I crawl into bed and turn off the lights, hoping sleep comes quickly tonight. Unfortunately, I don't think that is the case. I always have trouble my first night in a new place.

My phone makes a quiet buzz and illuminates the already dark room. I notice Caleb sent me a text. I open it with some confusion; we did just get off the phone after all.

 _Caleb: And try to make some friends at your new job too! Even if it's a guy with a number as his name for god's sake._

I chuckle slightly and decide not to reply. He knows me too well. I'm a creature of habit and if I don't try, I'll fall into the same routine I have been in for months. Sleep, work, gym, home. Sleep, work, gym, home. My life is actually a broken record.

The more I think about it, the more exhausted I become. I slowly drift off to sleep and tonight, I have dreams of a man with deep blue eyes. They look so familiar, but I can't quite place who they belong to.


	4. Chapter 4

TRIS POV

 **A.N. The night I had at work last night is 100% the fuel for this chapter. No Iphone 4 users were harmed in the writing of this chapter.**

I'm nervous for my first day at the new job, but everyone always is. I need to be at work by 330 to go over some small details with Lauren before we start taking tables at 4. I lay out my work clothes on the bed and attach a small white name tag to the shirt before deciding I should probably eat before leaving.

I walk into the kitchen and realize I haven't gone food shopping yet. As much as I don't want to take any of Christina's food, I'm sure she won't mind if I borrow some bread, peanut butter, and jelly for a small sandwich. As I finish putting it together, I hear the front door being unlocked and opened.

"Tris! Are you still home?" I hear Christina yell from the door.

"In the kitchen!" I yell back.

"Hey! Haven't left for work yet?" She asks. "It's like, almost 230". This is the daily struggle of a server. When all your friends are getting off of work, you're about to go in. It's no wonder Christina and I rarely got to hang out, except for when she came into the restaurant and sat in my section. She works weekdays on a 9-5, which obviously means she skipped out a little early today, and I work week nights and weekends.

"No, I don't need to be there until 330. But I see you decided to skip a few hours. Miss me already?" I joke.

"Haha. Very funny!" She replies. "I just wanted to see you off on your first day. Besides, I got all my assignments done early and figured no one would miss me if I slipped out. Besides, it's a good thing I'm here too. You aren't going to your first day looking like that are you?" Christina is always questioning my fashion decision. I'm going to work, not a party.

"What's wrong with how I look?" I ask, making sure the slight tone of offense makes it into my words.

"I mean nothing, but don't you work for tips? It wouldn't hurt to at least try to look pretty. Guys tip better when they think a girl is pretty. Uriah said so himself. You have to let me do your makeup for the first day!" I basically already know there isn't any getting out of this. Once Christina has her mind set on something, it's basically set in stone. I look at the clock and see that I don't need to leave for another twenty minutes.

"Fine!" I give in. "But I need to leave in twenty minutes, no matter what! I don't know what traffic is going to be like."

"Traffic?" She honestly sounds surprised. "Oh no, you're not going to be able to drive there, it would take forever. Besides, didn't you park in a parking garage for your interview? You don't want to have to pay every day to go to work. Your best bet is to just walk, it's only a couple blocks and the city is always buzzing and well lit. It's not that dangerous."

I'm honestly not that concerned about the danger of walking to work, but when you have a job that requires you to be on your feet all day, you start to really appreciate the moments you have to sit down, even if it's just in the car.

"I guess you're right. But you're running out of time, if you want to do this make-up thing, you better start now. You lost five minutes by convincing me to walk!"

A look of panic takes over her face before she grabs me by the wrist and runs me to the bathroom attached to her bedroom. She leaves me for a quick second to grab her desk chair from the office and plops me down into it. Her hands are moving in a blur as she plugs in a curling iron, god only knows why, and she starts rummaging through her excessive stash of makeup looking for the right combination of colors and products.

I chuckle a little to myself as she begins working on my appearance, knowing it is a lost cause for two reasons. The first being that I'm a server. I have to keep my hair up no matter what and nobody really notices if I have make-up on or not. But Christina made a good point, tips are generally better if the table thinks I look put together. The second reason I know Christina's work will be in vain is slightly less related to my line of work. Make-up is great and all, but it generally relies on the fact that you already look somewhat decent to start out with. I mean, I don't think I'm ugly by any means, but I'm not exactly about to land a five page spread in a magazine anytime soon. I look in the mirror and take note of my features as Christina begins to curl my hair. Looking myself over, I come to the decision that I am just plain. My hair is a dirty blonde that isn't quite brown, but still looks dark. My eyes seem too close together and are gray. Not blue or green, but actually gray. The most plain color in the world. My nose is small and my lips aren't full and if I could change it, I would make my bottom lip a little bigger. Overall, I think I look like my mother, but with hints of my father in all the wrong places.

My mom was quite striking and her eyes were always filled with laughter, and she had a warm smile that could bring light into any room. I always try my best to be like her, think about what she would want me to do. But most importantly, I wonder if my mother would be proud of the person I have become. Would she describe me as selfless like she was? I mean, I've given up a lot in the last couple of years. Not by choice, but necessity. But I gave things up, none-the-less. Or would she describe me as brave? After all, I did start living on my own at a very young age. I took on the responsibilities of an adult when most people were trying to figure out what classes to take the next semester. I started worrying about car payments, electricity bills, and health insurance. Not that I actually have the latter, but again, that's what I get for choosing the line of work I'm in.

Either way, she isn't here to tell me about it now, so the only opinion that matters is myself and maybe Caleb's and Christina's, but mostly myself.

"Okay, I think you're finally ready!" Christina says in an excited tone. She spins me around and when I see myself in the mirror, I'm actually pleasantly surprised. There is a slight curl to my hair that makes it look less like a messy pony tail and like I actually meant to have it that way.

She lined my eyes with a dark brown liner and gave me eyeshadow that gives it a brown smoky eye type look. Overall, I'm pleased with what I see.

"Thank you so much Christina! This looks great!" This time, I'm not lying.

"I'm glad you think so, because I actually went about five minutes over your time limit." She mumbles the last part in an attempt to get the words passed me.

"WHAT?" I practically yell at her. I check my watch and see that it is 3:15. I know it is going to take me at least twenty minutes to walk to the bar, so I quickly grab my purse and apron and rush out the door.

I know I can make on time if I hurry, but there seem to be way more people out and about today. I push my way through a large crowd of people purchasing food and newspaper at a stand. They're all discussing the big business move Marcus Eaton pulled this time to make him even richer. I have never cared much for the business world and that sentiment definitely applies even more now. I finally make it to Dauntless and see that I still have 3 minutes to spare. While I'm happy to be on time, I definitely need to make sure I'm at least a little earlier next time.

"You must be Tris! I'm Lauren. You can put your things down in the back, get yourself together, and meet me back out here." I can tell by her tone that she is already a little bit annoyed. Hopefully that will change soon. As I walk to put my purse in the employee area at the back of the restaurant I pass by Four carrying two very large and obviously heavy buckets of ice. Of course, he seems to have no problem carrying them at all.

"You alright there Stiff? You look a little winded. Or is Dauntless already too much for you?" He asks.

"Tris." I ignore his ridiculous question and decide to end this Stiff thing before it really even starts.

"What's a Tris?" he asks, slightly amused by my avoidance of his original question.

"My name is Tris. And I'm fine, just running a little late."

He laughs quietly and shakes his head. "Well Tris, welcome to Dauntless." And with that, the conversation ends and for some reason, my face feels a lot warmer than when we started. He squeezes passed me to continue his task and I resume mine. In the back, I see two more employees about to start their days. One guy, with pale skin, dark hair, and scarring on face is standing in the way of the employee cubbies.

"Excuse me, can I just put my stuff over there?" I try to sound as polite as possible, even though I really just need him to get out of the way.

"I'll move when I'm ready Stiff." He retorts. Is everyone going to be using this stupid name? Is it an unspoken rule that everyone has to be an asshole to the new person?

"My name is Tris!" I say a lot louder than I originally intended. It's not his fault he doesn't know. There is no way he just heard my conversation with Four just now.

"Woah! Whatever you say Stiff." He says as he pushes past me, nearly knocking me down. Thankfully, the other guy standing in the employee area helps me steady myself.

"Well, not Stiff named Tris, I'm Uriah, Christina's friend." I feel relieved at finally meeting a friendly face in this crowd of people who are just way too full of themselves. I feel a lot better already by his presence; I can tell that I am at least going to have one new friend at the job. Uriah shows me the best place to put my belongings so they are somewhat out of sight. He informs me that everyone is pretty honest, but there have been a couple of times that servers have found money go mysteriously missing from their bags.

"I'll be working the fryers tonight, so if you need anything, come to me. I'm kind of a big deal around here. People listen when I talk!" For some reason, I don't exactly believe him. It's probably due to how much he puffed his chest when he said it, but again, it will be nice to know at least one person has my back.

We go our separate ways to start the shift. I find Lauren standing by the bar talking to Four.

"What happened? Get lost? Come on, we already have our first table. I'll explain our section later, let's GO." Great, it seems I just can't get on anyone's good side on my first day.

My first shift goes just about as well as planned, which of course was not very well. Lauren tries her best to explain different drinks, food items, and where everything is while trying not to get too frustrated. I don't blame her though. I'm essentially in charge of the money she makes tonight. I get paid minimum wage and she gets the tips I make. Generally, people don't care if I tell them I'm in training, they'll still get upset if I can't remember the twelve beers on tap or the price of our house vodka and tip like shit.

Each table gets slightly better the last and before a while, I'm basically running the section by myself. Towards the end of the night, things start to slow down. It is a Monday night after all and people have to work in the morning.

"This will likely be the last table of the night, so make it count. You'll take it by yourself and I'll be watching the entire time" Lauren informs me. This comment only slightly throws me off as I've essentially been doing this the entire night. Either way, I walk up to the table of four twenty-something guys, hoping everything goes smoothly like it should.

"Hey guys! How are you tonight? My name is Tris, I'm in training tonight with Lauren." I say as I gesture her way. "Can I start you off with a beer or—"

"Can I borrow your phone charger?" I'm immediately cut off by one of the guys in a hat to my right.

"Ummm…I guess that depends on what kind of phone it is." Although, I know I probably won't have a charger for it, it can't hurt to just pretend.

"It's an Iphone 4. I mean, don't you guys keep chargers in the back in case a guest needs one? Oh, I'll have a tall Sam Adam's by the way. And I'm sure if you guys don't have one in the back, one of your friends will. It's an Iphone after all, an old one, but still an Iphone." His tone is very insistent and I'm sure I won't be able to get out of this too easily.

"Okay, I'll look around for one." I say in an uneasy tone. I finish collecting the drink orders before returning to Lauren.

"We need a tall Sam Adam's, a water, a pepsi, and an ice tea. Also, do you know if anyone has an Iphone 4 charger? The guy in the hat wants one." I can already tell by the look on her face that she is annoyed.

"Who the hell has an Iphone 4 anymore? Get the drinks and forget about it." She practically barks this at me. If it counts for anything, I don't even have a smart phone, let alone an Iphone 4. I mentally add this to the list of things I apparently gave up.

After getting the drinks and returning to the table, I ask if the guys are thinking about any food or if they are just good with the drinks for now. To no one's surprise, especially my own, hat-guy interrupts me again.

"Yeah, so where is the Iphone charger you promised me?" Again, his tone is full with urgency. It's obvious he is going to die along with his phone.

"We don't have any in the back, but I guess I'll ask around again." I say before quickly turning around and asking everyone, including Four and Uriah if they have a charger.

"Tris, I kind of have bigger things to worry about right now." Four informs me. I instantly feel like an idiot when I see his completely full bar rail of guests. Uriah is a little kinder, but he doesn't have one either. When I return to hat-guy with the news, he isn't pleased.

"Whatever girl. You probably didn't even ask anyone. Just get me another beer." Perfect. Lauren is going to love this.

Sure enough, by the time they leave, they've left a 12% tip and a note with a little too much profanity to read. I had the tip slips to Lauren, praying she doesn't say anything. Apparently, God can't hear me in here.

"Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming. So much so, that I already wrote out a list of your closing tasks. I only made 18% tonight when I should have made 25. So you get to do my closing work and I'm going to go ahead and leave." In reality, the fact that she even made 18% with a trainee on their first day is pretty damn good.

"Are you even allowed to do that?" I ask, hoping she'll concede and stay to help, even just a little bit.

"Does it really matter? The only person in charge here is Eric, and I don't think you want to tell him how poorly you did on your first day. See you later Stiff!" She takes the money she made for the night and leaves through the front door. I guess even if she was going to get in trouble for leaving a trainee on their first day, it kind of doesn't matter now. She's already gone.

I look at the list and realize this is going to take a lot longer than I would like. It's already 2:15. I sigh and start working. The only way to finish is to start.

By 3:00 I'm almost done and the only people left in the building are Eric, Four, and myself. On his way out, Uriah asked if there was anything he could do to help, but I told him no. He shouldn't be punished because of my poor performance and a trainer with an attitude.

"I need you two off my clock. NOW." Eric yells from the office. Almost on cue, Four comes out from behind the bar and clocks out.

"How much do you have left?" He asks me. Maybe I'll have two friends now.

"I'm finished now. Just have to grab my stuff from the back and I'm out of here." I wonder if he'll wait for me before leaving. I get my answer when I come out from the back and he is still leaning against the bar.

We walk out together and I turn to say goodbye.

"Where are you going?" He asks before I can get the words out.

"Um, home?" Where else would I be going. It's 3:00 in the morning and I've been working for almost 12 hours.

"You can't walk home." He says very matter of factly.

"Well, I can't teleport, so I guess this is my only option. It's not that far anyone. Ten, fifteen minutes tops." I don't really know what else he expects from me.

He wrestles internally for a minute before sighing. "That's good. It won't be that far out of my way."

"What?" I'm seriously confused now.

"I'm not letting you walk home alone. It's a big city at night. It's not safe." He starts walking ahead of me. He doesn't even know where he's going. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little annoyed, I don't need help. I'm just fine on my own. However, I can't help but be a little flattered. Most people don't go this much out of their way to help me.

"Look, I don't have all night. Are you coming or not?" Four's words bring me back to reality as I run to catch up to him.

 **A.N. Hopefully you guys haven't lost interest yet! It was a bit of a longer chapter. Sorry to any serious Lauren lovers. I didn't want to make her a bitch, but plot lines, you know.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. So per a promise I made to myself when I started this project, this is the last chapter I will have pre-written before publishing, which makes me very very nervous! So please leave your comments/reviews and let me know if this is something worth continuing.**

 **Also, I wanted to comment on how I write TRIS POV before every chapter. I'm like…95% sure that most, if not all, chapters in this story will be from Tris's POV, so I put that there just in case. I just don't know if I could write from Four's POV and make it feel authentic and not…comic-y. But, if people really want it, or to see a previous chapter from Four's POV, let me know. I can try and make it happen!**

TRIS POV

 _What?" I'm seriously confused now._

 _"I'm not letting you walk home alone. It's a big city at night. It's not safe." He starts walking ahead of me. He doesn't even know where he's going. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little annoyed, I don't need help. I'm just fine on my own. However, I can't help but be a little flattered. Most people don't go this much out of their way to help me._

 _"Look, I don't have all night. Are you coming or not?" Four's words bring me back to reality as I run to catch up to him._

I still don't entirely understand what's going on right now. What reason does he have to walk me home? He doesn't really know me at all. But I guess in the long run, I'll appreciate the company. We walk in silence for a little while, only really talking when I need to tell him which way to go. It occurs to me that now he'll know where I live. Maybe I should be worried, he is more or less a stranger after all, but I don't feel any discomfort from him having this knowledge.

Before I realize, we are about halfway to my apartment. I feel like I should say something, anything, to break the long and uncomfortable silence. At this point, it hangs in the air. I can almost feel the weight of it.

"So, I'm assuming Four is a nickname?" I regret the question right as it comes out of my mouth. Of course it's a nickname. Who in their right mind would name their kid after a number? "How did you get it? Was it like a sport's jersey number or something?" That was a good save, right?

He doesn't respond right away, like he's thinking about whether or not to actually answer me. Part of me hopes he just ignores the question. The weight of the silence suddenly seems a little more bearable.

"It's been my name for a while now." He answers without even turning to look at me and I can tell that's all the backstory he's going to give me right now.

"Do you like being called Four? Should I call you something else?" At this point, I feel like I'm just rambling. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?

"No, Four is fine." Once again, I get the feeling that this is all he is going to say. "Why did you want to work at Dauntless? Uriah said you had to move after you got the job. A little excessive, don't you think?" He asks. I guess I was wrong in thinking our conversation is over.

"I just needed a change of pace. I had been on my own for a little while, working an even shittier job and I needed to get out. Uriah's friend and my new roommate, Christina, recommended me to Uriah. He got me the interview at Dauntless. Then I moved in with Christina and I guess that was that." I intentionally leave the part out about how I have no family except for Caleb, no direction in my life except for a few back burner dreams, and gave everything up for a brother I hardly ever see anymore. I turn and realize that Four had changed his gaze to be meeting mine. He's staring at me, almost like he's waiting for my whole life story to be written on my forehead. "Are you okay?" I ask. Once again, I feel the weight of the silence.

"I almost believed you." He accuses.

"What do you mean you almost believed me?" I ask, frustration leaking into my words. What is there not to believe? That's what happened. It's not like I'm lying to him. Although, I'm definitely lying to myself.

"I don't doubt that that's why you moved, I just think there's more to it than that. There's always more to it." The way he says this, it's almost like we're not talking about me anymore. I don't notice until now, but the pace we are walking has slowed considerably. Did he initiate that or did I? I know we have to be close to my apartment now, and part of me wants to slow down even more. Normally, I hate when people ask about my path in life. It's not like I grew up on the streets. I had a great life before the accident. But every once in a while, someone can strike it just right and I want to open up. I want to spill everything, about my parents, and Caleb, and my dreams and goals that had to be put on the back burner for everything and everyone else. But, I shouldn't bother Four with all of this and while part of me hopes he would listen and continue to ask questions while looking straight ahead as he did before, I know he would probably just think I'm some crazy new girl trying to get attention.

Nevertheless, I can see the building that contains my new apartment. As we walk up to the door, I'm immediately unsure of what to do. I've never had a boy walk me home before. I take a few steps towards the front door before turning back to look at Four.

"Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me home, but you didn't have to. Seriously, I can take care of myself." I try and sound as sure as possible.

"There you go again, almost making me believe you. Almost." He chuckles as he says this. When he looks up at me, it's hard not to notice his eyes again through his eyelashes. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Tris." And with that he walks away.

"Right, goodnight…Four." I turn back towards the door and quickly fumble with my keys. As I walk in, I look up at the window to my new living room and see Christina's face plastered to the window. I know the minute I walk into the apartment door, I'll be bombarded with a million and twelve questions. This assumption is confirmed when I see Christina holding the door to the apartment open with a wide grin.

"Sooooo, how was work?" I don't even answer the question.

"His name is Four." I decide to ask the question she was really asking, instead of the one that came out of her mouth. "Anyway, why are you still up? Don't you have to be at work in like, five hours?" The clock on the microwave reads 3:22 and I know Christina doesn't like to be at work any later than 8.

"I got worried when you didn't come home earlier like you said you would. I figured I would wait until 3:30 to start calling the police, FBI, CIA, DOD and all those people. But when I heard your voice outside, I figured you were fine. I only got interested when I heard the other voice. Did you say his name was Four? What kind of name is that?"

"I don't know, it's some kind of nickname, but he wouldn't tell me what his real name was."

"Oh, so he's one of those mysterious, sulking in silence kind of guys." I can tell she isn't going to let this one drop.

"Christina, forget about it! I barely even know the guy. And by the way, my first night sucked. The only reason he even walked me home was because my bitch of a trainer made me close the restaurant after some idiots tipped me, which means her, like shit." I hope that this will derail the conversation long enough that she forgets about Four, but knowing Christina, that isn't likely to happen.

" Ouch. That does sound pretty shitty. Maybe Four will defend you next time!" She smirks at me and I give her the biggest 'drop it' glare I can muster, but even Christina can't take that one seriously. "Whatever, I could practically see his abs from the window. You should let him walk you home more often. But give me a better heads up next time, I need a new vantage point!" She laughs and gives me a hug, congratulating me once again on my new job and giving me the normal 'tomorrow will be better, keep your head up, blah blah blah sentiments' before heading to bed.

I head to my room and try to forget Four for the time being. My first day of training was a disaster and I need to show them that I can do better next time. There is nothing I can do about Iphone guy. Bad customers will be bad customers. But maybe if I can have everything else memorized, like the menu and the drinks, it will get a lot better. I should ask Uriah to help me with some of the food. Now that I've left the old restaurant and my old apartment, Dauntless is basically all I have. I would never admit it to him, but most of the time I'm envious of Caleb. He doesn't have to worry about this kind of stuff. He would laugh at me if I told him that though. He has his own problems to worry about. It's not like college is easy, especially being an engineering major.

I decide after about an hour of reviewing, that I should really get some sleep. It definitely won't do me good to show up to work tomorrow half asleep. I get up and take a quick shower, allowing my muscles to finally relax under the warm water. I can't help but think about my parents tonight. I keep wondering if they would be proud of the decisions I've made. My favorite part of taking a shower after a long night of work is I feel like I can cry if I need to. It's obviously a private place, no one can see me here and it's likely that no one can hear me either. But the best part is that sometimes I can almost convince myself that it's just the water from the shower running down my face, not the tears. It sounds dramatic, but everyone deserves to show some vulnerability every once in a while.

It only occurs to me just how long I've been standing here when the water starts to run cold. I quickly shut it off and step out of the shower and grab my towel, wrapping it around my body. The apartment seems quiet and warm as I walk back to my room, the only noise being the soft buzz of a city starting to fall asleep as well. I can tell that this is going to be a great home.

When I get to my room, I fall on my bed and take one last glance at the picture of my parents, smiling at each other as if the rest of the world wasn't out there waiting for them. Every time I see this picture, I know I'm making the right decisions. Mom and Dad always taught me to be selfless, especially for the people that we love. That is exactly what I'm doing now, right? I wish they would have included in their lessons just how exhausting selflessness really is.

Eventually I start to doze off and I get up to change into my night clothes. I set an alarm and crawl into bed before drifting off to sleep. I dream again tonight, but not about any mysterious blue eyes. I dream about what my life would have been if mom and dad had just stayed home that weekend and Caleb hadn't moved away. I dream about my family, together again and happy. I'm retched out of the dream as if it had been a nightmare, covered in sweat and breathing heavily, and for the first time in a long time, I almost cry outside of the confines of my shower. Almost.


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. Wow. So I definitely didn't expect that at all. I posted this story before heading to the gym and I got back like…an hour later and already had reviews and a ton of follows, so thank you so much for that. It definitely motivated me to get right back to writing and I am definitely am going to keep up with the story. As far as an update schedule, I'm not entirely sure I can promise a strict one. I'll try to have the next one up before the beginning of the week. Thank you everyone -dauntlessbybirth**

 _I dream about my family, together again and happy. I'm retched out of the dream as if it had been a nightmare, covered in sweat and breathing heavily, and for the first time in a long time, I almost cry outside of the confines of my shower. Almost._

The next few days continue just as the first, with each day getting better and better. Eventually, I start to feel like I might have found a place that I feel comfortable being in every day. I get used the routine of Dauntless. Every day I walk in, Four is behind the bar, flipping bottles and impressing his guests. Most bartenders do this to get better tips and look cool, but for Four, it's like the bottles are an extension of himself. He does this because it feels natural, not because it's fun. If Four isn't behind the bar, Zeke is there. He's Uriah's older brother and they are definitely cut from the same cloth. They both have laughter in their eyes every time I see them. Uriah has become a great friend. He's always making me laugh one way or another. Sometimes he's throwing French fries over the line at me, trying to get me to catch them in my mouth all while avoiding Eric's ever present glare.

Overall, Dauntless is starting to feel like my new home. Each night we're practically overflowing with new guests that want to experience the intense atmosphere we provide and I love every second of it. Of course it's not always easy. Every night after I leave, I feel thoroughly exhausted. The best part of coming to Dauntless though, has been my walk home. Four has been walking me every night. He still thinks I shouldn't walk home alone. Maybe he is right, but I don't say anything regardless. Each night is the same. He bombards me with questions about my family and friends, my dreams and goals in life. I answer most of his questions with just the information he needs, never going any further. He's become a good friend, but that's all he is now and I'm not ready to tell 'just friends' anything about my real life yet.

Every question he asks me, I shoot right back at him, and somehow he manages to avoid them with the same patient practice that I use. I'm not cruel and I don't push him. Christina stopped watching for me to come home after the first few nights. She probably figures that nothing is going to happen anymore, and she's right. Although, every once in a while I get interrogated about the mysterious guy walking me home. When I get home, take my shower, and collapse into my bed. I say goodnight to my parents and send good wishes Caleb's way, figuratively speaking. I'm almost starting to feel happy. But the problem with my happiness is that I can never seem to get past almost.

Today started off like any normal day. I walk in through the front door. It's my last day of training so I'm pretty excited, but also nervous. Lauren has loosened up on me a little bit, but I know that doesn't mean I can relax. Every day of training is just as important as the last and I need to make a good impression.

"Hey Tris, ready for your last night? It's kind of important." Four reminds me as I walk by the bar.

"Do you really think I don't know that? I'm sure it will be fine. I've basically been on my own every night so far." I don't stop to wait for a response. As much as I would love to talk, I need to be ready to go a little early today. As I'm placing my belongings in the employee area, Peter stands behind me with an obnoxious grin on his face.

"Well Stiff, this is it. Mess up today and it's all over. You'll be out of a job and we can all go back to normal." Peter is the worst part about working at Dauntless, even worse than Eric. I push him aside and start to put my bag on a shelf above his head. Naturally, he doesn't move.

"Are you ever going to get tired of calling me Stiff?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"I don't have to worry about getting tired of it. You'll be gone soon anyway." As he says this, I let my bag 'accidently' slip. It hits him right on the head.

"Oops!" I yell, trying to contain my laughter. Behind him, I can see Uriah doubling over in a fit of giggles. I thank whatever intuition caused Uriah to come around the corner at that exact moment.

"Watch it Stiff, you really don't want to mess with me. You never know what might happen." And with that, Peter walks away. I brush off the threat, knowing that it's more than likely empty. Uriah walks over, still trying his best to contain his laughter.

"That, my friend, was pure gold. Someone needs to put him in his place every once in a while. Next time, you should hit Eric on the head with an ice bucket." While the thought is appealing, I know that's a sure way to get fired.

"You don't think I should be worried about Peter do you? I mean, I'm pretty sure he's all talk." Uriah shakes his head.

"Don't worry about him. He just needs to boost his own ego every once in a while. It's not like anyone else does it for him—"

"Uriah! What the hell are you doing? Get back on the line!" Eric voice booms through the whole kitchen. Uriah waves goodbye and wishes me good luck on my last day of training.

I walk out to the front to meet Lauren for our final day. We talk for a few minutes and she answers any last minute questions before we start. I'm pretty confident tonight and know that everything will go exactly as planned, and it does. That is until a customer about half way through the night decides to totally derail basically everything. It starts off like any normal table, he sits down and picks up the drink menu and I can tell by the expression he makes, he is not impressed and isn't going to let me go easily on this one.

"Hello sir, welcome to Dauntless. What can I get you started—"

"Where the hell are your prices?" He interrupts.

"What price are you looking for?" I ask him.

"What do you think? The price on the beers!" He is progressively getting louder and louder as the conversation continues. I wonder if he's already a little drunk and question if I should serve him even more.

"Well, our beers change depending on season and demand. We don't write the prices down on the menu for that reason." I inform him. "But I know all the prices and can answer—"

"It doesn't do me any damn good to have to ask for the prices! What the hell kind of place is this?" At this point, he is practically yelling and stands up to face me. In the corner of my eye, I can see that everyone at the bar has turned to look at my angry guest, especially Four. His eyes lock with the guest and I can see the muscles in his arms tense. It's hard not to notice just how scary he looks, like he could snap any second. At the other end of the bar I can see Peter with a large, sly grin on his face. I don't have time for this right now. I shake my head to return myself to the situation that needs my immediate attention.

"If you don't want me to tell you the prices sir, I'm not entirely sure what you want me to do." I'm stuck in a corner with this one. It happens fairly often and 90% of the time, the guest just wants to yell at the first person that they come across.

"I WANT YOU TO GO TO HELL!" He yells directly at me. Any other rational person would have walked away. Any other rational person would have gone to get a manager. Any other rational person would not have done what I did. I straighten my back and slam my book down on the table.

"Would it make you feel any better?" He looks surprised by my response. It's hard not to let the annoyance and anger I feel slip into my tone. The words come out a lot stronger than even I expected.

"What did you say?" We are clearly in a stand-off now, and I won't bet the one to back down.

"Would it make you feel any better if I went to hell? Would it make you feel like a bigger man? It seems like you need to re-evaluate your priorities in life. You see, I figure I have two options here. I can continue to let you yell at me and maybe even break down and cry. You can assert your dominance because I'm just a lowly server right? I don't matter. You can go home tonight and tell all your friends about how you told off the idiot girl half your size. However, my other option, is I can tell you to sit the fuck down or get out. Got it?" I'm so filled with anger that the room is spinning. I feel dizzy and red hot. But above all, I feel scared. I have no idea where that came from or why this new found temper decided to surface at this exact moment, on my last night.

After a brief pause, I guess he decides to get up. He throws the beer list at me at walks out. It takes a few moments for me to realize that the entire bar has gone completely silent and everyone is staring at me. I rush into the back before Eric can come out and figure what is going on. I'm so flustered that I don't see Peter stick his foot out as I rush pass him. I trip, taking another server, Edward, and a few empty beer glasses down with me. I land on the floor with a hard thud and a large piece of glass cuts across my right palm. Blood is seeping out and now I know for sure that I really need to get out of here. Tears are already threatening to flow down my face and I know I'm as red as a tomato.

"Way to go Stiff." He says loud enough for the whole bar to hear. "You manage to piss of a guest and break like, thirteen glasses all within—" He is cut off as his body slams into the bar. I look up to see Four standing beside me.

"Jesus, Peter. Do you ever stop talking? Zeke, watch the bar." Zeke nods his head and continues pouring drinks where Four had left off. Four puts his strong hands on my shoulders and helps me up before escorting me to the back.

I turn my head and yell to Edward over my shoulder. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" I know it's not really my fault, but if I hadn't been so flustered, I would have noticed Peter's giant foot sticking out.

Four takes me into the employee area and pulls a first aid kit down from one of the shelfs. At this point, Eric probably knows what happened and is debating on whether or not he should come back and tell me I'm fired or if he should let me figure it out on my own. Maybe if I go back to my old restaurant, I can get my job back. I'm sure my apartment hasn't been rented out yet. It's only been a week. Christina will be upset of course, but there isn't much I can do about that.

"Tris!" Four's voice brings me back to reality. "I need to see your hand. You're clenching your fist too much. I'm honestly nervous you're going to just punch me." He laughs a little as he says this. I don't even think it would hurt him if I did. I open my palm as he inspects the damage.

"It's not too bad." He concludes. "You're definitely going to want to keep it wrapped up for a day or two. You should change the bandage before you go to bed tonight and again in the morning."

"Thank you. For everything." I tell him. I feel like I should be embarrassed, but it's hard to right now. I feel too comfortable having him here, with his hand on mine, even if it's just to fix my broken hand.

"It's basic first aid, Tris, not rocket science." He says.

"For Peter too, I mean." If he hadn't pushed Peter out of the way, I might have just broken down right then and there.

"Yeah, well he deserved it. He feels threatened by you being here. He does whenever we have good new people. It's idiotic, but it's keep him on top for a while now. Hopefully, we can change that."

"TRIS! Are you okay?" I look up to see Uriah standing in front of me, worry spread all over his face.

"I'm fine." I tell him, allowing a small smile to creep across my face. "Just a little blood. How's Edward? He didn't get cut too did he?" Four laughs to himself and shakes his head, although I'm not entirely sure why.

"Dude, I don't know. After Eric came out and found out what happened, he pulled Edward into the office. They've been in there ever since." I'm sure Edward is telling him that I should be fired. I close my eyes and sigh before reaching up to grab my bag off the shelf. If I just leave, no one will notice right?

I stopped by the sound of the office door slamming against the wall.

"I can't take it anymore. Peter trips the new girl, she falls and cuts the shit out of her hand, and I'm the one facing suspension for dropping the glasses? Forget it." The voice belongs to Edward, and he is definitely not happy. He shows up in the employee area and grabs his jacket.

"Edward, what's going on?" Four asks.

"This place is bullshit, that's what's going on. I can't stay here anymore. " I can't tell if it's Edward or his anger talking.

"Don't make any stupid decisions." Four advises, but it's too late. Edward is already on his way out. Another server sets down a tray of drinks and begins to follow him. Her name is Myra and I'm pretty sure they're dating. It seems a little ridiculous that she would leave because he does.

"Well this is just great." It's Eric's voice booming over everyone now. "I lose one of my best servers, I have a shit trainee, and now Myra is gone too. Tris, get out. You're done—"

"No." I'm definitely surprised when I hear Max standing by the office door. "You'll need to work to pay for the broken glasses, but you put that guest in his place. Dauntless isn't like most places and the customer is most definitely not always right. You're done with training, so you'll take over Myra's schedule and her shift tonight, but you don't get any more chances. Got it?" It takes me a second to realize this is when I'm supposed to talk.

"Yes, absolutely!" He nods his head at me before returning to the office and shutting the door. Fury is written all over Eric's face, which makes the whole situation a hundred times better. I feel Uriah's hand slap on my back.

"Way to go Tris!" The worry on his face has been replaced with a smile and I'm starting to feel a little better.

"Tris." I turn back to see Four looking at me. "I've got to get back to the bar. Are you okay?" He asks.

"I'm fine. Thank you again, seriously." His only response is a smile before he turns and walks back to the front. Uriah needs to get back to the line, so I tell him I'm just going to send a quick text before I go back to the front as well.

I grab my phone out of my bag and set up a quick group text to Christina and Caleb.

 _Tris: I made it._

Three words have never been so empowering. I take a few more seconds to collect myself and come back to reality before heading out and finishing up Myra's shift. I get a couple really great tips from some people who saw the incident with the guest and Peter. Overall, it actually turns out to be a decent night and I make pretty good money. As usual, Four walks me home tonight. We don't talk as much and it seems like something is bothering him this time. I hope he doesn't regret defending me. As I walk up to my apartment, I turn around to say goodbye, but he has already started walking away. The only goodbye I get is a raised right arm in a half-hearted wave. He doesn't even turn his head to look at me.

 _Great._ I think to myself. _What have I done now?_


	7. Chapter 7

_As usual, Four walks me home tonight. We don't talk as much and it seems like something is bothering him this time. I hope he doesn't regret defending me. As I walk up to my apartment, I turn around to say goodbye, but he has already started walking away. The only goodbye I get is a raised right arm in a half-hearted wave. He doesn't even turn his head to look at me._

 _Great. I think to myself. What have I done now?_

It's hard not to worry about Four. I don't even really understand how he became such an ever present force in my life. I mean we just work together, it's not like we're soul mates or anything. But the way he treated me last night was so different, that I worry I've upset him in some way. I think about it for a better part of the next day and decide that I want to talk to him about it and try and apologize for anything I've done. Hopefully I can catch him on a break or something.

As I walk into Dauntless tonight, I know there is something wrong. The music has been turned down so it's barely above a whisper. The staff is quiet. Even Eric sits at a back table, quietly watching the bar like a hawk. Four is behind the bar as usual, but he seems different. Every movement seems stiff and cold. His expression is blank as he pour drinks. I walk up to Zeke at the end of the service bar. Maybe he has some kind of clue as to what's going on.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I practically whisper. If I speak any louder, I'll stand out like a sore thumb. Four shoots me a chilling glare and I know that I need to be quiet.

"I guess that depends on what you consider alright. You're pretty new here, so I guess you wouldn't know. Check out who's at the end of the bar." Zeke lifts his head toward a man sitting alone on the other side of the bar rail. He has a glass of scotch in front of him, neat. He has no food and every once in a while he speaks in a hushed tone. He is too far away for me to hear anything, but Four replies at the same volume in short, staccato phrases. I'm studying the man, trying to figure out who he is. Why is he so important and why has everyone changed so dramatically because of his presence?

And then it hits me. He looks up for only a split second and our eyes meet. It's Marcus Eaton, the billionaire business man on the front of all the magazines at the news stand. This man is worth more than Apple and Walmart, and he's sitting at the end of our little bar.

"Holy shit—" Zeke nudges me in the side to remind me not to yell. "What the hell is Marcus Eaton doing here?" It's just Dauntless after all. This man can afford to eat at any bar in the world, and he chooses Dauntless?

"We ask ourselves that every damn week." He replies. "He only comes in on Thursdays. He sits at the bar and only talks to Four. He started coming in when Four started working here, so I figure he's a regular from an old job or something. But he's very particular. He likes the bar a certain way and Eric and Max will do anything to please him. He buys 4 or 5 glasses of our most expensive scotch and is a big benefactor of the bar." This explains why everyone is so tense.

"So he just talks to Four the entire time?" It seems a little strange. I mean, I have plenty of regulars, but this is truly bizarre. I look up at Four and notice just how tense he really is. This doesn't exactly look like an enjoyable experience. When my regulars come in to chat with me, it's like a breath of fresh air. I don't have to play the servant game, I can just be their friend. And by the way Four is acting around Marcus, they are most definitely not friends.

"Yep. Every once in a while he exchanges a few words with Max, but that's it. Most of the time, it's just Four." I hear a noise from the end of the bar. Marcus had set down his final glass and hands Four a credit card.

Four runs it through the machine and hands the slip and card back to Marcus. Even from here, I can tell that Marcus only signs his copy before getting up and walking out the front door. I swear I hear him say something to Four. It's something that rhymes with bias or maybe highest. Four nods his head before returning to his work.

"So, this asshole comes in every week and acts like he runs the place and doesn't even tip his damn bartender?" I ask Zeke. It's interesting. I almost want to run after him and make an example of what a jerk he is. Bartending isn't easy after all.

"Yeah, I think that's why Four looks like he's got something up his ass every time Marcus is here. I wouldn't want to wait on a regular that can't even tip! Besides, Four needs all the help he can get! It's not like he has a charming personality and dashing good looks like yours truly!" Zeke laughs, quite pleased with himself.

Something flies across the bar and hits the side of Zeke's head with a loud thud. I look down at the ground to see an orange slice lying by Zeke's foot. It definitely came from Four's direction. My suspicions are confirmed when I see a smile creeping up on Four's face. And with that, the music in the building gets louder again and everything returns to normal.

Today is the same as any other day. I have one guy sitting at a table drinking alone. I try to talk to him as much as possible. People think they come into a bar to drink, but in reality, they just want someone to talk to. I find out his name is Al. He's in the city visiting family and just needed to get away for a little while. I tell him I understand and that my family is overwhelming to, which is an obvious lie. I would do anything to see my family. Every once in a while he stumbles on his words and I can tell he is pretty nervous. He laughs at my jokes, even though I don't think they're very funny, and by the end of the night it's obvious he's a little tipsy. I cash him out and tell him that he should go and be with his family. He smiles at me before wishing me a goodnight. When I go back to get his credit slip, I see an extra piece of paper with a phone number on it.

 _Text me sometime. I might need another escape soon._ I quickly shove it in my pocket and go through the rest of my shift as normal, and before I know it, it's time to break down the bar. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to Four and I need to do it soon. Hopefully, he'll decide that he still wants to walk me home tonight. As I grab my things out of the back, Four comes up behind me.

"I'm starving. Want to grab a bite to eat?" He asks. I'm a little surprised. I thought for sure he was angry with my last night and I wonder if I should let it go. It's totally possible he was just tired. It wasn't exactly an easy night of work last night. But it doesn't matter, this gives me the perfect opportunity I've been needing. A chance to talk to him face to face without any interruptions.

"Sure, I'm done now anyway. I think there is a diner a few blocks over that's probably still open." Diners are really the only places open after the bars are closed.

He follows me out the front door and I notice that the temperature dropped a lot between now and when I got to work. I curse myself for forgetting to bring a bigger jacket. I start to shiver a little bit and walk a little faster to get to the diner. A warm cup of coffee will definitely make me feel better.

I feel something wrap around my shoulders. I turn around to see Four's jacket on me.

"You don't have to do that." I try to sound as sure as possible, but in reality, I'm thankful for the jacket. His warmth still lingers on it.

"You're obviously cold and I'm not cruel. We're almost there. You can give it back the minute we walk in the door."

We walk the rest of the way in silence. As we walk in, I notice we will be one of the only tables in the entire restaurant. I double check with the host to make sure that they aren't close to closing down for the night. We don't want to be _that table_ that refuses to leave. She assures me that they are open 24 hours.

As we take our seats, Four orders two cups of coffee. I hand him back his jacket and he places it in the booth next to him. I look over the menu a little bit and quickly decide on pancakes and bacon. As the coffee arrives, I take a greedy sip, effectively burning the back of my throat in the process. Four notices this and laughs at me a little bit.

"Hey, I'm cold and tired. There isn't much that could have prevented my instant consumption of the delicious coffee in front of me." I say.

He holds up his hands in surrender. "No judgement here! I just didn't realize the need for coffee outweighed your physical wellbeing."

"Well, it's good to know that you care again…" The words trail off and I slightly regret saying them.

I look up from the cup of coffee and see a concerned look has crossed his face.

"So, do I need to ask what exactly you mean by that?" I'm a little frustrated that he doesn't know exactly what I mean.

"You don't have to walk me home every night if you don't want to. I never asked you to in the first place. You went from asking me ten thousand questions about my life to not even speaking to me. And then when I walk in today, you shoot me a death glare because you have some big shot bar guest?" The words spill out a little quicker than I would have liked. I'm nervous for his response, but instantly grateful when our server comes back to take our order.

I order my meal and look back to my coffee. Four orders his meal and then another to go with it.

"Hungry?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood. He simply shrugs his shoulders. Before our server leaves, I order another meal and politely ask her to box it up to go. It will be nice to have something ready for me to eat tomorrow morning. I have a feeling I just initiated a long conversation.

I continue to stare at my coffee like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"I guess you don't know me as well as I thought you did." Four eventually says. I'm filled with the same frustration I felt earlier.

"It's not like you tell me anything. You avoid all of my questions like I don't even ask them." He's done this every night and I can tell that isn't about to change now.

He thinks about this for a long time. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable, wishing I had just said no to his invitation. I could be in bed right now.

"Marcus is an old family friend. He's really the only family I have, so it's not exactly the best situation. He took me in when I was little." I don't know why he's deciding to tell me this now, but I'll take what I can get.

"So he's not just a bar regular then?" He shrugs again. I can tell he doesn't like having this conversation with me. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. I really didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I've never told anyone about him before. It's a bit of a sore spot." Now he's the one looking into his coffee. I don't really know what to say next. I feel warmth creeping up into my face, and not the good kind.

"Why are you called Four?" I don't really remember deciding on my next words. He chuckles again.

"That's really what you want to know right now?" He asks. I stay silent, deciding that's the best way to stand firm in my question.

"It's just been my name for a long time." He says. Apparently, he has decided that our talk is over. At this point, our food arrives and we eat in silence for a little while. I can feel my phone buzzing in the seat next to me. Christina will have realized I'm not home yet and she'll be wondering where I am. I try my best to ignore it.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. I'm suddenly not as hungry as I originally thought. After a while, Four notices that I have stopped eating.

"I'm sorry, you've got to be exhausted. I'll be right back." He gets up and hands the server some cash at the register.

"Why did you do that?" I ask him. I have my own money. I don't want him thinking he has to make up for acting like a jerk the other night.

"Don't worry about it. I'll walk you home. Here." He hands me his jacket again. As much as I don't want to take it, I know it's still probably freezing outside.

We box up the rest of our food and leave. He's quiet again tonight as we walk. I consider asking him another question, but I know he'll just dodge it and direct it right back at me. I start to notice that he and I have moved closer and closer. I try to justify it in my mind by blaming the cold, but a part of me knows that's not the actual reason. We come up to my building and Four turns to me.

"Do you work tomorrow?" He asks.

"No, it's my first day off since I've started. I definitely need it." It's not a lie. I was supposed to have a few days off between training and when my schedule started. But then I took up Myra's schedule. Her week started as mine was ending.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it. Any big plans?" _No. Did you want to make any?_ I debate asking. But I know that Christina is dying to have a girl's day. She has tomorrow off too and she's been bugging me about it since I moved in.

"Yeah, with Christina." I smile when I say this. Maybe I'm looking forward to it a little more than I thought.

"Have fun then. Goodnight." He smiles and I think he's about to turn around and walk away. But he stops and does something I don't expect. He reaches back and grabs my hand. For just a split second I feel his warmth spread through my hand, and it feels good, comforting in a way. And just as quickly as he grabbed my hand, he lets it go and walks away.

I'm still a little mesmerized as I turn up to the door of my building. I walk up the stairs slowly, feeling the exhaustion of the night even more than before. As I walk into my apartment, I realize that I still have his jacket on. There's no point in running back downstairs after him, he's probably a few blocks away by now. I can give it back to him the next time I work. Besides, there is definitely a part of me that doesn't want to give it back.

I throw the jacket on my bed before going through my evening routine of showering and decompressing before bed. When I get back to my room, I put on my pajamas and pick up Four's jacket and start to lay it across my dresser.

But I stop halfway and put it on once more. It actually still smells like him, and once again, I feel comforted. I lay down on my bed and start to think about the last few weeks of my life. Moving in with Christina really was the best idea, and I should try and find a way to thank her again. I really enjoy my new job, even though it has its ups and downs. Uriah and Christina are great friends, and Christina has been begging me to meet Will, which I'm sure will happen sometime tomorrow. I'm making great money at Dauntless and I've even started talking to Caleb a little more. It's just a text message here and there, but I really missed talking to him. Four has turned out to be a really good friend. I really like being around him, hell, I'm pretty sure I'm even falling for him….. _Damn it._

 **A.N. So, I thought I was going to be able to get this up a little earlier, but I ended up having to work 2 shifts I didn't originally plan on this weekend. Like I've said before, I really hope you guys are still liking the story. Reviews help a ton! I'm super new to this and it helps me out a lot, even just to know that people are reading what I write. Thank you again!-dauntlessbybirth**


	8. Chapter 8

_Moving in with Christina really was the best idea, and I should try and find a way to thank her again. I really enjoy my new job, even though it has its ups and downs. Uriah and Christina are great friends, and Christina has been begging me to meet Will, which I'm sure will happen sometime tomorrow. I'm making great money at Dauntless and I've even started talking to Caleb a little more. It's just a text message here and there, but I really missed talking to him. Four has turned out to be a really good friend. I really like being around him, hell, I'm pretty sure I'm even falling for him…..Damn it._

I wake up the next morning feeling fully refreshed. My stomach is already growling and I take a moment to thank 'past-Tris' for deciding to order some food to go from the diner last night. I can smell pancakes from the kitchen. Is Christina cooking right now? It actually wouldn't surprise me. She's so eager to have our girls day that she might have cooked breakfast to expedite the process. I get out of bed and rub the sleep out of my eyes.

"Good morning sweetheart." The voice I hear is not Christina's. I look up and see none other than Andrew Prior, my father, standing in my kitchen. I'm stuck where I stand. My heart is pounding out of my chest. My mother, Natalie, walks in behind me and kisses my forehead. I look across the room and see Caleb sprawled on a couch, watching TV in the living room. What is going on here?

Caleb looks up at me. "Well don't stand there like an idiot. If you're not going to eat something, let me have the rest." He jumps over the back of the couch and goes to grab the plate my father has made for me off the table. A few more seconds of processing hit before I turn and dig my shoulder into his torso. Caleb isn't about to get away with it that easily!

"Enough you two. Sit down already! Beatrice, do you want any coffee?" She asks with a perfect 'mom' voice.

"Yes, please. No cream or sugar." I love family breakfasts like this. We're always so busy with school and work that it's nice to have Sunday mornings to be lazy and drink coffee and watch the news. I hear a sniffling sound from across the table. It must be Caleb's allergies. I look up and see tears streaming down his face.

"Caleb…what's wrong? Got something in your eye?" I tease. He looks up at me in disgust. Beside me, I hear a cup hit the table. I go to take a sip, without looking, and instantly realize something is wrong.

 _Blood._ I throw the cup on the ground by accident and stand up to get some water, anything to wash away the horrible taste. _This is not right. Something is wrong. Mom and Dad are…._

"SHIT." I sit up in my bed. MY bed. In MY apartment. With MY roommate, Christina. _It was just a dream. Just a…_ I reach over and grab my phone. It's only 9:30, which is probably why Christina hasn't come in here and dragged me out of bed yet. I can feel the sweat dripping down my face. I see something on the ground by my bed, Four's jacket. I remember putting it back on before I feel asleep last night. I must have gotten hot or something and thrown it off last night. I get out of bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes for the second time. As I stand up, I pick the jacket up off the floor and put it on a hanger in my closet. Maybe I should stop by Dauntless sometime today and give it back.

I still feel nervous from my dream. It sits in the pit of my stomach. I wonder if Caleb has dreams like this? Before I can think about what I'm doing, I've already dialed his number and have the phone up to my ear, praying he answers. The phone picks up.

"Beatrice…what's wrong?" I woke him up. Of course I did, it's only 630 or 730 there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just…had this really terrible dream and I can't get it out of my head. Go back to sleep—"

"It's fine. I'm up now." I hear rustling on the other side of the line. He's probably sitting up in bed.

"Do you ever dream about Mom and Dad?" I need to get over this nasty habit of letting words spill out of my mouth. Caleb stays silent for a few moments. This probably isn't what he wanted to talk about first thing in the morning.

"Sometimes." He finally says. "Not as much anymore. Are you doing okay? You know, I took this Psyh 101 class and they talked about stress and sleep patterns…" He starts going on and on about how our body reacts to stress and for a minute, I just listen. In his own way, he's comforting me but putting the dream in a logical manner. It almost makes me giggle. Caleb has never been the best at cheering people up, but for now, just having my big brother try to make things better is perfect. It's his way of showing that he cares.

"Tris? Beatrice? Did you hear me? Are you still there?" Oops.

"Yeah! Caleb, I'm here. Sorry." I try and remember what he was talking about last.

"I said that I have fall break coming up. I could come visit you for a couple of days. You can even take time off of work if you want?" I hear my door open slowly and see Christina's face peer in, a big smile plastered on her face. I don't know if I'm ready to handle all the excitement that is girls day. She mouths something to me. It takes a couple of tries before I figure it out. _Coffeeeeee._ Perfect, that is exactly what I need!

"Tris, I think I'm losing you! Do you need to call me back?" Poor Caleb, I woke him up to basically ignore him.

"No, I heard you! Sounds like a perfect idea. Text me the dates and I'll try to ask it off work. I'm so sorry Caleb, I have to go. My annoying roommate has decided it's time for me to get out of bed!" I throw my pillow at the door, but she shuts it just in time.

"Alright, I've got to get up and get ready for class anyway. I'll text you those dates. Love you, Tris." He says the last part a little off-handedly. I think he feels obligated to say that he loves me, because Mom and Dad aren't around to do it anymore. It comes across as awkward as any big brother telling his little sister he loves them.

"Love you too Caleb. Have a good day." I hang up the phone and reach for another pillow to launch at Christina. She dodges it with perfect skill and comes and sits next to me on my bed.

"Sorry!" She says, even though I don't really think she means it. "I heard you talking and figured you'd be up. We have a long day today, you know! Will is going to meet us at noon for lunch, at Specific Gravity."

"Perfect, sounds good. Give me a few moments to get ready?" I ask, silently begging she let me do this alone. I love Christina, but I need every quiet moment I can get. She nods her head and shuts the door. I rummage through my closet to pick an outfit, but I can't get my dream out of my head. In the corner of the room, I hear my phone buzz. I pick it up to see a text from Caleb.

 _Caleb: Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving?_ I didn't realize that Thanksgiving was this close. I check the calendar on my phone and see that it's only two weeks away.

 _Tris: Okay. Let me check with my roommate. I'm sure she won't mind you staying with us._

Christina will absolutely be okay with it. She loves any excuse to meet and entertain new people. I finish getting dressed and walk out into the kitchen.

"Hey, do you have any plans for thanksgiving?" I ask her.

"No, my parents are going on a Europe vacation, so it's just me. I was thinking of asking Will about his plans." She says.

"Would it be okay if my brother stayed with us for a few days?" The look of excitement on her face is all the answer that I need.

"That would be great! We can have a big Thanksgiving dinner too! This is great! We can watch football, eat a ton of food, play cards!" I'm glad she's taken to the idea so well.

She continues discussing our holiday plans all the way to the nail salon that she picked out as our first destination. She finally drops it when she sees me looking at the wall of paint colors.

"I think you should go for tips, but not white, maybe like a deep brown or black." She says.

"Do you know how quickly I would break those? With my luck, they'd end up in someone's food and then I'd get fired!" I finally give in. Christina keeps telling me that she thinks I'm pretty, but I'm not convinced. But when they're done, I'm pleased with my nails. They make my fingers feel longer, more graceful. By this time, we go to meet Will for lunch. Specific Gravity has great pizza, so I'm pretty excited. When we get there, Christina stands on her tip toes to give him a kiss. I feel a slight pain in my chest.

"Will, this is my best friend and new roommate, Tris. Tris, this is Will." He extends his hand in an awkward hand shake. I return the gesture and say hello before we go in. Will isn't exactly how I imagined him. He is pretty tall, maybe 6' 3", with dark brown messy hair. He wears glasses and has a lanky feel to him. If you had told me this was Christina's boyfriend, I probably would have laughed. But seeing the way they act around each other, how they move together, I guess it only makes sense.

"So! We have some exciting news!" Christina starts. "We are having a big Thanksgiving. I'd love for you to be there Will. Tris' brother is coming into town and we're going to have a huge dinner." She doesn't even try to contain her excitement.

"That sounds wonderful." He says with a shy smile. "Will it just be the four of us?" When he says the number, Christina instantly perks up even more. I didn't think it was possible.

"Four! You should invite him!" _Great, not this again._

"Wait" Will interjects. "Four is a person?"

"It's just his nickname." I explain. "And I'm sure he has bigger plans with his family or something." _Even I know that's a lie._ "Besides, I don't really think he'd want to come anyway."

Christina laughs when I say this. "He walks you home from work every night and you talk about him all the time. I'm sure he wants to come."

"He walks me home because he says it's not safe, and it's not like I have much else to talk about. Except for the people I work with I know you and now, Will." I counter.

"For someone who doesn't seem interested, you sure are defending yourself pretty hard. That generally means you're trying to deny a truth to yourself as well." Will says. I shoot him a hard look that I hold for a while. I barely even know the guy and he can already tell I have feelings for Four. I give up and rest my head on the table.

"And there it is." Christina finally says. "Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think it's great. Oh my gosh, you should totally ask him out. It would be all Sadie Hawkins." At this point, I really want the conversation to end. I reach into my pocket like it has the key to my escape. My hands curl on a piece of paper. It takes me a minute to figure out what it is.

"I already have a date, with someone else." I blurt. I must have accidently grabbed my work jeans. The piece of paper is from Al, with his phone number on it.

Christina's face drops a little in disappointment. "Oh, who with?"

"A guy I met at work. He's in town visiting family and we got to talking the other day. He's really nice." It's not a lie. I enjoyed talking to him and I'm sure we'll have a good time. Will it be exactly what I want? Maybe, but probably not.

"Well, that's sounds nice." She says. Christina is a terrible liar, she always has been.

Our food arrives and we talk a little more about life. Will asks me about why I moved to the city and decided to live in Chicago. I gave him the same answers I give everyone. Christina keeps quiet, knowing I don't really like to talk about myself. It seems selfish to hog a conversation. I ask Will about what he does for a living. He tells me that he's an economist for a big company. He starts explaining things to me about numbers and sales projections. I can't help but laugh. He sounds exactly like Caleb and I know without a doubt that they will get along over the holiday.

"Will, I love you, but I think it's time Tris and I head out. We still have a long day ahead of us!" She exclaims, much to my dismay.

"Right, I'm sure Tris is very excited." He says sarcastically.

"Oh believe me. I am." I say, mirroring his tone. We pay the bill and get up to leave. Christina is already ahead of us and about to walk out the door.

"Tris." Will says to me. "I know we just met and maybe it's none of my business, but there's no point in denying yourself happiness. I feel like…you're almost there. The only person you have left to convince is yourself." I'm a little stunned. Will is a lot like Christina, perceptive in ways I wouldn't have imagined. "But like I said," he continues. "Maybe it's none of my business."

"Thank you." I don't really know what else to say. We leave Specific Gravity and the rest of the day is fairly uneventful. Christina asks about Al a couple of times. Her questions remind me to text him.

 _Tris: Hey, are you busy tomorrow night?_ _I was thinking we could get dinner or something._ He responds almost immediately.

 _Al: Sure! What time?_ We hammer out the rest of the details. It's incredibly selfish of me to use him to get Christina off of my back, but I'm just not in the mood to deal with all her questions about Four right now.

When I get home, I'm totally exhausted. I eat dinner before letting Christina know that I'm turning in for the night. In my room, I see Four's jacket hanging up in my closet. I meant to run past Dauntless to give it to him, but totally forgot in the commotion of the day. I reach over and grab my phone. Staff phone numbers are all online, so I find Four's and send him a quick text.

 _Tris: Hey, it's Tris. I just wanted to let you know that I didn't mean to hold your jacket hostage and I can drop it off at work tomorrow if you want!_ I don't particularly like going into work on my days off, but I did steal his jacket.

 _Four: It's okay. I'm only freezing to death over here, and don't worry about it. I have tomorrow night off. Just bring it on Saturday?_

 _Tris: Will do! See you then._

I'm starting to doze off with my phone in my hand. I set it down on the night stand and look my eyes are drawn to the picture of Mom and Dad. They would be happy to know that Caleb and I are making an effort to see each other over Thanksgiving. The only thing that would make it perfect would be if they were there too. I think about my dream from last night again. I almost wish I could have it again, just to see their faces so vividly. It almost makes the horrible ending worth it. Almost.

 **A.N. Thank you every one for reading! As always, please leave reviews and feedback so I can know how you feel/if you have questions/you want to tell me what music you're listening to right now/you want to tell me what show you're binging on Netflix (Mad Men for me!) -dauntlessbybirth**


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm starting to doze off with my phone in my hand. I set it down on the night stand and look my eyes are drawn to the picture of Mom and Dad. They would be happy to know that Caleb and I are making an effort to see each other over Thanksgiving. The only thing that would make it perfect would be if they were there too. I think about my dream from last night again. I almost wish I could have it again, just to see their faces so vividly. It almost makes the horrible ending worth it. Almost._

As darkness comes over the city, I take a look at my watch. 7:30. Al is going to be here around 9 to take me to dinner. I told him we were going as just friends, but I'm not quite sure he got the message. He seemed pretty insistent that it was our 'first date'. Either way, I'm excited to hang out with new people. I love my friends, but I think I need the escape just as much as Al does.

I decide that I better start getting ready. I walk out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Christina is making a late dinner, some kind of chicken dish with peppers and asparagus. Normally, Christina is jumping all over the idea of helping me get ready for something like this, but she hasn't been too talkative today.

"Ugh, I have no idea what I want to wear tonight. And that obviously means I'm not going to know how to do my makeup." A smile creeps across my face and I wait to see if she takes the bait. I feel like this is something for the record books. Tris Prior is blatantly asking for help with makeup.

She doesn't turn from her work. "That does sound like a pretty big problem. I thought you'd be a little more excited for your 'date'." I can hear the sarcasm dripping through her words.

"Yeah well, you know how hopeless I am!" I feel like I'm dangling a carrot in front of a horse.

"Maybe you don't really want to go on this date as much as you thought. Or maybe it's not an issue of wanting to go, maybe it's an issue of who with." She says, still not turning to face me.

"Way to be subtle, Christina. Why do you even care that much?" As much as I love Christina, sometimes I don't understand her.

"I just don't like it when people lie, even to themselves. You're my best friend, Tris. I know it seems insignificant now." She still hasn't looked up at me. My face feels hot and I'm sure I've taken on a new shade of red. She is right in one aspect, it is insignificant.

"Christina, you haven't even met Four." I can hear my voice rising in volume. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what this is about. "For all you know, he could be the worst person on this planet." She finally turns her head and thinks carefully about her next words, her eyebrows turning downward in a hard scowl.

"I know he's not. Not with the way you talk about him." And with that the conversation is over. Christina finishes making her plate and takes the food to her room. I can tell that I've really struck a chord with her. She's such a neat person and never takes food into her room, so she must really want to get away.

I groan to myself before snatching my cup of tea and going into my bathroom. Is Christina right? I've known the entire time that this date means something different than I make it out to be, but it's too late to back out now. Al will be here in the next hour and to cancel would just be cruel. I start doing my makeup, covering each section of uneven skin tone, any blemish on my face. I don't have many. I was blessed with my mother's clear skin. She told me I was lucky and growing up, every one of my friends was jealous. I didn't have to worry about the 'awkward zit' stage. It was the only time I felt like I was ahead of the game in the visuals department. After I put on my foundation, I take a sip of warm tea. It would be so nice to just curl up on the couch and watch a movie.

I finish getting ready in the bathroom, grab my cup of tea, and head into my bedroom. I decide to just wear my hair in a neat pony tail. If I wear it down, it will just be messed up by the end of the night anyway. Why put the effort in to just have it ruined in the long run? I go back to my room and once again I'm immediately drawn to my parents' faces in the picture on my night stand. For the first time, I see judgement in their faces. I march over to the other end of the room and slam the picture down on its front. Why can't anyone just leave me alone today? I look in my closet and I'm met with yet another reminder of the bartender I just can't get out of my mind.

In one quick movement, I rip the jacket off the hanger and throw it across my room. It lands on my bed in a lazy, crumpled manner. Angrily, I sift through my closet trying to find a good outfit for tonight. I don't know exactly where we're going, which makes it hard to decide on clothes. I eventually settle for a dress the falls just above the knee. It has blue and orange geometric patterns covering it with a diamond cut out of the back. It's just casual enough that Al doesn't get the wrong idea, but not so casual that I look sloppy. I cover my shoulders with a denim jacket and put on my favorite pair of boots.

I check the clock again. 8:45. He should be here any minute. I hear the front door slam and figure Christina probably went to go hang out with Will somewhere. A few minutes later, I hear the buzzer ring for the front door. I grab my purse and head out the front door. When I get downstairs, Al is waiting for me as expected. We exchange an awkward hello and he tries to give me a hug, which I not-so-skillfully turn into a handshake.

"You look nice tonight Tris." He says. I can tell by his tone that he is nervous, making me think he already has the wrong idea of why I asked him out.

"Thank you, you do too." It's not a lie. I can tell that he definitely tried to dress up for tonight, which I appreciate. He is wearing a clean pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt, with the top button undone. This makes me feel a little better about his intentions. He looks just as casual as I do. We walk in silence for a little while towards our destination.

"So," I start. "Where are we going tonight?" I hope he has some kind of plan.

"It's just a little pub a few blocks away. I'm sorry it's not anything super fancy. I honestly wasn't expecting you to call—"

"No! It's perfect!" I assure him, and it really is. I'm hoping tonight will get my mind off of Dauntless and Four for just a little while. It will be nice to talk about nothing with someone who doesn't really know me all too well.

"Okay, great." He says with a smile. We walk a few more blocks before finally coming across the pub. He was right in saying it's a smaller place with a friendly warm feel, not like Dauntless at all. There are TV's across the walls playing a soccer game with two teams I've never heard of. I can't tell the staff apart from the customers, clearly there is no dress code here. As we walk up to a table, a Golden Retriever runs up to Al, full of excitement. He bends over to pet him.

"Hey River! How are you girl?" I can't help but laugh, but I think the idea is cute. Granted, I can't imagine ever having a dog at Dauntless, the poor thing wouldn't know what to do.

"Sorry about that." He says to me after River trots away to meet a new guest that has just walked in.

"No, don't be sorry. I think it's cute! I wish we had a dog at Dauntless." I tell him. Our server comes by and we order some drinks. Al gets an Irish beer that is unfamiliar to me and I stick with water.

The night goes surprisingly well. I tell him stories about work and he either thinks they're hilarious, or he's a good actor. I tell him stories about people that are mad when they find out their beer doesn't have free refills and about kids who are upset that they can't come into the bar at night. He tells me a few stories about his job. He works for a steel company in Detroit. It doesn't surprise me all that much, he looks like he could lift a two hundred pounds over his head if he needed to. But at the same time, I don't think that makes him particularly strong. Many of his movements are awkward and carless. He almost spills his beer on himself a couple of times. He has brute strength, but he isn't powerful, not like Four.

I shake my head at the thought. I agreed to this date to get Four out of my head, not to compare him to Al.

"How long are you visiting your family?" I ask him. His expression softens a little bit.

"It's hard to say." He explains. "My mother has been pretty sick. Lung cancer. Right now, it's just kind of a waiting game, but unfortunately, I think it will be in the next couple of days." My first instinct is to reach out and grab his hand, or pull him in a hug. If there is anything in the world I understand better than most people, it's situations like this. Sometimes, you just need to feel comforted.

"I'm so sorry…" my words trail off. He said he needed an escape, and now I can see how true those words are.

"Well, I kept telling her that the only thing that should smoke as much as she does is a chimney!" He tries to joke. I like to believe that having the mental preparation for what he's going through would make things easier. I didn't have the same luxury, but I know it's harder than he lets on.

The more we talk, the more I realize that being around Al is kind of nice, but probably not in the way he is hoping. I can talk to him like I talk to Caleb or how I was with Will the other day. After a while, I'm starting to feel tired and our conversation dies down.

"Tris, thanks for coming out with me. I didn't realize how much I needed it." I smile back at him in response. We leave the pub and head back towards my apartment. Just like a few nights ago, the temperature had dropped pretty far while we were eating. I really need to start bringing a thicker jacket places, it is November in Chicago after all. Beside me, I feel Al shifting closer and closer. I'm not entirely sure if he just wants to make sure I'm warm, or if he thinks this is going anywhere else. I check my watch to see that it's almost 11:30. At least the excuse that I'm tired will prevent the awkward moment of 'do I invite you up to my apartment or not.'

"I'd really like to do this again sometime if you're interested. I'll probably head back to Detroit sometime next week." As he says this, he tries to wrap his arm around my shoulders. I fake a cough and he retracts his arm.

"We could try. I work a lot in the next week so it kind of depends on my schedule, but you're more than welcome to come visit me at work again." As much as I like talking with Al, it would be much easier for him to just come to work. That way, I can always excuse myself from the conversation if need be. I wonder if Four would be bothered if he saw Al there again, talking with me as much as he did the first night? For the second time tonight, I find myself trying to shake the thought of Four out of my head.

"Yeah, sure. I can do that." I can sense the disappointment in his tone. Eventually, my apartment building is in sight, and I can feel my body aching for the warmth of my own bed. However, something on the stoop of my building catches my eye. It looks like the crumpled form of a person and even from here, I can see the half empty bottle of liquor propped up against his body. His jacket is torn at the shoulder of the right arm and it is covered in dirt. He likely stumbled a good distance before finally ending up at the door of my building.

"Oh wow, that's an attractive sight." Al mumbles to me. He puts his arm around me again, but not in the same manner as before. This time, it is to usher me to his other side and away from whoever is sitting on the ground. I don't shy away from his touch this time. As we get closer, I can already see a purple ring forming around the man's eye.

"You know, I can walk you up to your door if you want." Al suggests softly. If I had been remotely interested in his proposal, I might have missed the man on the ground opening his good eye. There is something about him that sends alarms off in my head. We get even closer before I figure out what is so unsettling about the man at my door. I'm shouting and running to him before I'm really even sure what's going on.

"Holy shit, Four. Are you okay?"

 **A.N. Aaaaaaand the plot thickens….It's not a super long chapter, but important none the less. Thank you all again for reading. Give me feedback as usual! I seriously love reading all of your thoughts** **Happy Friday! -dauntlessbybirth**


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N. This chapter is brought to you so quickly by a string of horror movies, a terrible night of sleep, and reviews that made me feel like the next bestselling author3**

" _You know, I can walk you up to your door if you want." Al suggests softly. If I had been remotely interested in his proposal, I might have missed the man on the ground opening his good eye. There is something about him that sends alarms off in my head. We get even closer before I figure out what is so unsettling about the man at my door. I'm shouting and running to him before I'm really even sure what's going on._

 _"Holy shit, Four. Are you okay?"_

"Wait a minute, you know this guy?" Al asks me after running to catch up. I can hear the disapproval in his voice.

"Asshole…." Four mumbles. If we weren't in the situation we currently are, I might have laughed. Unfortunately, I need to get Four out of the street. The swelling around his eye is getting worse by the minute and I don't even know if that's his only injury.

"Al, I need you to help me get him up to my apartment." I tell him.

"Tris, that is definitely not a good idea. He clearly got in some kind of fight and he's trashed. You shouldn't be alone with him in your apartment." It's apparent that he's not going to budge on the topic.

"Four, come on. Time to get up." I tell him. I wrap one of his arms around my shoulders to use my weight to lift him. Thankfully, whatever conscious part of him is left hears me and he produces some force in his legs to help himself up. He's not very stable, and we almost fall into the front stairs. I catch myself on the railing and try and steady him a bit more. He slowly tries to lower himself back down.

"No no no. Come on, Four. You've got to help me out here." It then occurs to me that he wasn't trying to sit back down, but grab his half empty bottle of liquor. The priorities of the drunk never cease to amaze me. I turn back to Al one more time.

"So is that a no on the help?" I ask one more time.

"I'm sorry, Tris. Besides, it looks like you've got it all under control. I'll see you soon?" He asks, and I can hear the hope ringing in his tone.

I try to smile at him. "Yeah, of course. Thank you again and I'm so sorry about this. Have a nice night." He smiles back at me and begins to walk away.

"Who does he think he is…" Four mumbles again, and this time, I don't think he's talking about Al. I don't know what happened to him, but he's clearly upset about something. I ignore him for the time being and I'm sure he doesn't even notice. I need to get him up and entire flight of stairs and it's not going to be pretty. I look up to the window of my apartment and see that all the lights are off. If Christina was home or awake, she would be standing in the window watching for Al and I to come back. Al may not be her first choice for me, but she still can't resist knowing what's going on.

I assume she is staying with Will tonight, so I can't call her for help. I'm not sure if this makes me happy or not. It definitely saves me from having to answer way too many questions.

"Alright. Ready to go?" I ask Four. I turn my head to look at him and I can tell he's only somewhat aware of what's going on.

Overall, it takes about fifteen minutes to get him up the stairs and he did his best to run into every railing and wall on the way. He probably will have more bruises from simply walking up the stairs than he will from whatever he got himself into tonight. I fumble with my keys before finally unlocking the door. In one last burst of effort, I walk him into my apartment before pushing him down on the couch in the living room. _If only Christina were here to see this._ I chuckle to myself.

I roll him over on his side. I'm not sure sleeping on his back is a good idea. He lifts his bottle of liquor with more energy than he did the entire time I was trying to drag him up to the apartment. He seriously wants to drink even more than he already has? I take the bottle out of his hand before he gets the chance.

"HEY!" He yells. But when he sees that I have the bottle, his face calms a little bit.

"I have something better, I promise." I tell him. He thinks about it for a moment before letting his head fall back on the couch.

"Perfect…" He trails off. I could tell him that he's the Prince of Egypt and he'd probably believe me right now.

"I'll be right back." I tell him. I walk into the kitchen. If I give him a glass of water, he'd probably dump it all over the living room floor and I don't think he could work a travel coffee mug. I look at the bottle in my hand and decide it will half to do. I start to dump the contents into the sink. Whatever he was drinking, it was definitely strong. It burns my nose as it gushes down the drain.

 _I'm sure this will go over well tomorrow morning._

I wash the bottle out a few times before refilling it with water. I start to walk back to him, but am reminded of his eye. I need to clean it off and get some ice on it before it can get any worse. We have a small first aid kit, but I don't think it will help me right now. A damp kitchen towel and a package of frozen vegetables will have to do.

Two thuds from the living room bring my attention back to the drunk man on my couch.

"You okay in there?" I yell. The only response I get is a grumble. At least he's still alive. The source of the thuds is revealed when I walk back into the living room. He had kicked his shoes off so hard, they hit the wall across the room.

"Where was all this energy when I was trying to get you up the damn stairs?" I half yell, half laugh at him. "Here, your 'something better' has arrived." I hand the bottle to him and he takes it just as quickly as I expected and takes a giant swig of water. Judging by his expression, he has no idea what is in the bottle.

I sit on the ground next to the couch and put the frozen vegetable on his eye. He flinches slightly when the cold touches, but eventually relaxes. I'm sure it feels good against his hot skin. He starts to doze off again and I realize the only way to keep the package on his eye is if I hold it there. It's not so bad, considering it should only be there for about twenty minutes.

It's so strange to see Four like this. He's always in control, even during the situation with Peter at the bar, which would be enough to set anyone off the edge. But looking at him laying here now, with so much of his mind out of his control, it's almost heartbreaking. At least he looks calm while he sleeps, not worrying about who or whatever put him in this state. I'm so lost in thought, that I almost don't notice that Four is looking right at me.

"Tris…". He says quietly. It sounds like he has regained a small amount of conscious thought.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" It seems like a ridiculous question. I've definitely been where he is before, without the black eye of course. He simply responds with a low groan, closing his eyes. I imagine the whole world feels like it's spinning to him. I'm not sure he'll want to tell me in the morning, so I figure the only way to find out what happened to him is to use his inebriated state against him.

"Four, what happened to you? Who did this?" I ask. He thinks about answering for a long time and I start to wonder if maybe he had fallen asleep again. I'm about to give up on it when he responds.

"Good old dad…." Is all he says. _What the…_ He had just told me the other day that he didn't have any family and if he did, why did his only contact with them end like this? I wonder if Marcus knows about this. _Marcus…_

"Four, is your father..?" My words trail off. I just can't seem to find the right way to phrase my question.

"Marucs..asshole." He says two words and my mind is reeling. So Marcus isn't just a family friend, he is family. If Marcus is his father, then that means I don't have a drunk bartender on my couch, I have a drunk billionaire's son. What the hell is he doing working at Dauntless if his father has enough money to buy the moon? My mind is filling with question after question, but I know that Four is too far gone to answer any of them. Will he want to talk about it in the morning? I shift the vegetable pack to take a look at his eye. The swelling seems to have gone down a little bit, but he is definitely going to have a nasty headache in the morning. I wonder if I can get him to take something for it.

"Four, why did you come here?" I ask him. It hadn't really bothered me until now. If Marcus is his father, surely he had a place or five he could have gone. What made him decide to come here?

"No one else cared." It's hard not to notice my heart practically skip a beat when he says this. Of course I care, but I didn't think he knew. I can't help but smile at the thought. He must be happy too, because a smile comes across his face as well. He reaches his hand up to cover mine. It's not in a usual graceful Four manner and for a second, I'm worried he'll just hit himself in the face, but he manages to reach his goal. I start to feel warmth come across my body. This is different from the first time he touched my hand. He tried to hide the fact that it meant something last time, but this Four couldn't hide anything if he wanted to. His emotions are all out in the open now.

A new thought crosses my mind and I can't help but laugh to myself.

"Four Eaton, huh?" I say, although I instantly regret it when I see his expression change. Apparently, he's conscious enough to process this.

"No." He says, very sternly, before closing his eyes again. He needs to sleep. I take the ice pack off his eye and pull a blanket off of the end of the couch. After the stairwell fiasco, I don't even want to try to get him into a bed. Besides, the thought of him sleeping in my room makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I like him, but it seems a little much. The couch will have to do for now. I get up to put the vegetables back in the freezer and to get myself a glass of water before I go to bed.

"Tris?" I hear from the living room. Apparently, I can't even leave him alone for a few moments. I reach up into one of the cabinets and pull down a bottle of medicine. Even if I can't get him to take it now, I'm sure he'll need it in the morning.

"It's time for you to go to bed now. I need sleep too." I tell him, hoping the powers of drunk persuasion still work.

"Stay here?" He asks.

"There's no room for me and I don't really want to sleep on the floor." I tell him. I wait a few moments for him to say something else, but it doesn't seem like I'm going to get a response. _Maybe he finally fell back asleep_. The thought vanishes when I hear a very loud thud come from the living room. It surprises me so much, that I run in to check on him, but when I get there, the couch is empty. I walk around to the other side to see Four laying on the floor next to the couch.

"There you go…" he says. It takes me a moment to figure out what happened.

"Did you just roll yourself off the couch to give me a place to sleep?" I ask, slightly amused. His only response is a half-hearted thumbs up. I kneel down next to him to drop off his aspirin and adjust the pillow that is only half under his head.

"I'll be right back, I need to go change." I tell him. He doesn't respond, so I get up and go back to my room. I start to peel off my clothes and debate taking a shower, but exhaustion has hit me once again and I don't know if I trust Four to be alone for that long. I pick the first t-shirt and pair of shorts I can find and wipe the make- up off of my face. It feels like my dinner with Al was weeks ago when in reality, it's been only a few short hours. My body aches from trying to get Four up the stairs and I know sleeping on the couch isn't going to help that. However, he seemed pretty insistent on me not leaving him alone.

I grab a blanket and pillow from off of my bed to take with me. As I'm leaving my room, I notice that the picture of Mom and Dad is still face down where I slammed it before I left earlier that night. I don't know that they would be proud of the decisions my friend had made, but they would tell me I'm doing the right thing making sure that he is okay for tonight. Before I leave, I set it back upright and can't help but return the smile they are showing in the picture.

"I love you." I say quietly. When I walk back into the living room, I can hear Four's long even breathing. He has definitely fallen back asleep now. I walk lightly, hoping not to wake him. I don't know if I could deal with him anymore. Sleep is sounding so much better the more I think about it, even on the living room couch. I gently step over him before collapsing on my bed for the night. I look down at him once more, just to make sure he is actually asleep. It's pretty evident that he is by the gentle rise and fall of his chest. This makes me relax just a little bit more and before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep myself.

"Goodnight, Tris" is the last thing I hear before slipping into darkness.

 **A.N. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed getting this chapter so early! I'll try to have the next chapter up before the week starts. As always, leave your comments and reviews, because they seriously make my day! -daunlessbybirth**


	11. Chapter 11

_When I walk back into the living room, I can hear Four's long even breathing. He has definitely fallen back asleep now. I walk lightly, hoping not to wake him. I don't know if I could deal with him anymore. Sleep is sounding so much better the more I think about it, even on the living room couch. I gently step over him before collapsing on my bed for the night. I look down at him once more, just to make sure he is actually asleep. It's pretty evident that he is by the gentle rise and fall of his chest. This makes me relax just a little bit more and before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep myself._

 _"Goodnight, Tris" is the last thing I hear before slipping into darkness._

My eyes slowly flutter open to the sun beaming in through the living room window, silently reminding me that I slept on the couch last night instead of in my own bed. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and think back to the events of last night. I make a mental note to send a text to Al, thank him again for dinner, although it does bother me that he refused to help last night.

I hear movement below me and I slowly peek over the side of the couch to see Four, still asleep on the ground, lying flat with one arm behind his head. In this position, I get a perfect look at his injured eye. From here, I can see that the swelling has gone down, but it's definitely going to be various shades of purple and green for a while. It's definitely going to be a conversation piece today at work. Zeke will probably be making fun of him for not being able to take a hit, but most everyone else will be wondering what the other guy looks like.

The thought reminds me that I now know who the other guy is. I wonder if he remembers telling me about Marcus? I don't feel like I should hide the fact that I know from him if he doesn't. This is very sensitive information and a secret that I'm probably not meant to know. I wonder how much of last night he remembers at all?

"I think she's awake." The voice brings me back to reality and I recognize it to be Will's. If Will is here, that means Christina is too. _Oh great…_

"Well if she wasn't before, she definitely is now. You need to be more quiet!" Christina whisper yells.

I glance over my shoulder and try to glare at them angrily, but can't help but laugh when I see what they're doing. They have pulled two chairs together in front of the hallway and are sitting next to each other, waiting for me to wake up. Each has a bowl of cereal in their laps. It reminds me of eating popcorn at the movies.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" I ask them, although it seems pretty obvious at this point. The smug look on Christina's face doesn't help the situation at all.

"You know, Tris." She starts. "I'm a little concerned that my roommate is leaving to go on a date with one guy and having another guy spend the night all within five hours of each other. But I do wonder what he did to deserve sleeping on the floor?" I know that I'll need to clear the situation up soon or I'll never hear the end of it from Christina.

"I'm just helping out a friend, Christina, nothing more!" I assume from the look she gives Will, she doesn't believe me.

I hear movement from the floor and turn to see that Four is finally awake. He sits up slowly, looking very confused. I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember coming here. Thankfully, Christina doesn't say anything and she and Will silently get up and go into her room.

"Hey, there. How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"What? Oh, yeah. Um, good morning." He says. I can tell he is nervous of how I'm going to react. "I feel fine." He stands up and grabs the bottle that is now filled with water.

"I brought you some aspirin last night, in case you need it now." Every word I say comes out as awkwardly as it feels. Part of me just wants to blurt out everything that happened last night, but I'm not entirely sure how he will take it. Will he be upset with me knowing about Marcus? He looks down at the bottle and apparently decides he doesn't need it. I'm a little surprised. With the amount he drank last night, it's a wonder he can even stand, let alone produce coherent thought. But in reality, why am I surprised? It seems nothing can phase Four.

He looks around the room and thinks for a moment before sitting down next to me on the couch.

"Tris, I'm so sorry about last night. I don't really remember making the decision to come here. I shouldn't have done that." I can tell he really means it.

"I'm not. I'm glad you came here. God knows what kind of trouble you would have gotten yourself into otherwise." I tell him and I do mean it. But the questions I have are still eating away at me.

"Four," I continue. "Do you remember what you told me last night?" He doesn't answer right away, but by his face, I can tell he remembers everything. He sits back into the couch.

"Yeah, and I'd prefer you not tell anyone else. It's not something I like to broadcast to the world." I can tell this makes him uncomfortable and I find myself wishing he hadn't said anything in the first place.

"Of course, I understand. But Four, what happened?" I ask him, hoping I don't have to explain what I mean.

"What always happens. He said something, I disagreed. He got angry and threw the first punch, so I ended it by throwing the last one. After that I left and…coped. He did manage to get one good one on me this time though. Thanks for the ice by the way." I want to ask him a hundred more questions, but I decide against it. He'll tell me in time if he wants to.

"Anyway, I should probably go. I already feel like I'm overstayed my welcome." He says. He picks up his bottle and notices that the liquid inside is now clear. I can't help but laugh a little to myself as he slowly twists open the cap and sniffs the contents inside. _He doesn't remember that it's just water._

"Well, that explains why I didn't get any drunker. I had myself convinced I drank half the bottle." This time, he laughs too. I feel my face get hot at the sound of his laugh.

"It was for your own good. Hey before you go, I have something for you." He looks a little confused when I say this. I quickly run into my room and grab his jacket off the hanger in my closet. I actually feel a little upset that I have to give it back to him, but it's not mine. "I figure I held it captive long enough." I say as I hand him his jacket.

"I didn't mind." He laughs. "But thank you. I'll see you tonight?" I nod my head in response. He walks out the door and I wait a few seconds before shutting it behind him. I press my back up against the door and shut my eyes. The moment of peace is quickly disrupted by the sound of Christina barreling out of her room.

"Okay, spill!" She has me cornered.

"Nothing happened, so don't even bother asking. He just had a rough night and he didn't know where else to go. I found him waiting here when I got back from my date with Al and I invited him up to talk about it. Before I knew it, it was really late and we both just fell asleep." I tell her, hoping she believes me.

"Right, we're not even going to pretend that's what actually happened. I could tell when I came in last night that he was drunk. Did he show up here like that?" I should have known that would happen. Christina has a secret ability of always knowing when people lie. After a long pause, I decide to give in.

"Yes, he showed up here like that. I'm honestly surprised he could find the building." The words come out as more of a sigh of defeat.

"I'm not." She says. I feel my brow furrow in confusion. "Oh my god, you've got to be kidding me. He likes you." She says, and by her tone, I can tell she is getting frustrated with me. "It's not like it's a secret or anything." I look to Will who has been quiet up until this point. He just shrugs his shoulders, but it's evident he agrees with her. Am I the only one who didn't see this? I look back at Christina, waiting for her to continue. "Please, he walks you home every night after work, so you can't even tell me he just drunkenly stumbled upon our building. Second off, he was drunk, so he probably went wherever his mind thought of first. And don't think I didn't see that black eye coming on. He obviously had a rough night and wanted someone to talk to, someone he could trust. That someone is you. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out." It takes me a few seconds to process everything she said, but once it's out in the open, it starts to make sense. There really is no other reason he chose to come here. The more I think about it, the more I find myself not wanting to talk about it anymore. I look at the clock and see that it's already 2. We definitely slept in a lot longer than I thought.

"Shit, look I've got to be at work in an hour. Can we not do this right now?" I beg her.

"Sure, but it's just going to come back to you later!" She yells as I walk back towards my room. "Does this mean I'm not going to meet Al?" She asks. I don't even give her the satisfaction of a response. I just shut my door and get ready for work.

I get to work a little early. It feels like ages since I was here last, but it's only been two days. I find Uriah sitting in the employee area, waiting for his shift to start.

"Trisssss!" He yells as I walk in to put my stuff down. When he looks up, he seems surprised. He takes a moment to study my face. "You look happy. What's wrong?"

I'm a little taken back by his question. "Why does something have to be wrong for me to be happy?" I ask him.

"It doesn't. You just look different is all. I like it. It makes you even cuter than before." He teases, nudging his elbow into me at the same time. I pick up my foot and kick him in the backside. I know it doesn't hurt because he was standing right next to me.

"Okay!" He says as I start to walk away. "Something is definitely up!" Just like Christina, I don't give him the satisfaction of a response. As I walk out to the front, I become nervous at the thought that Four will be here any minute. But of course, when he does arrive, he looks as cool and collected as usual. If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have even known he was drunk last night. I silently curse him, knowing that if it had been me, I still would have been in bed or praying to the porcelain gods. The night starts off as usual, with just as many cool and annoying customers as usual. It isn't until Peter almost knocks over a full tray of drinks in my hand before things start to get interesting.

"Watch where you're going Stiff! You already forced one guy to quit. We wouldn't want to cause any more casualties." I can see Four's demeanor change from all the way at the bar. He already didn't like Peter, but now it seems to be even worse. Thankfully, I don't spill anything and I steady myself before walking out to my table. Throughout the night, I can see Peter getting more and more frustrated, although I'm not sure why. After I ring in some drinks, I go to stand by the service bar and wait for Four to make them. I know the bartenders hate it when we watch them, but I just can't seem to stay away. Peter is already standing there waiting for a drink for one of his tables. His facial expression is less than friendly.

"You doing okay there, Peter?" I ask, with a heavy air of sarcasm in my tone. Four has already started making my drinks, a slight smirk on his face.

"Your boyfriend here has been cherry picking drinks all damn night." It takes me a second to realize the boyfriend he is talking about is Four. Peter turns to look and him and extends his torso slightly over the bar so his face is only inches from Fours. "It's not that hard to do your job. You make the drinks in the order they are rang in. I swear to God I'm surrounded by idiots." He says, puffing out his chest a little to make himself seem more intimidating. I look to Four to see how he'll react. He continues to make my drink, but looks over at Zeke who is talking to a bar guest.

"Zeke, I think Peter might be right. It's not that hard, but I just can't seem to get it right!" He says with a smug look on his face. It takes all of my effort to contain my laughter. Zeke walks over and pats him on the back.

"Really, Four?" He turns to look directly at Peter. I don't think I've ever seen Zeke look scary before, but he definitely manages it with the look he gives Peter. "Because I think you're doing a great job."

Four finishes my drinks and gives me a small wink as I pick them up. I start to walk away, but stop and turn to Peter one last time.

"By the way, he's not my boyfriend. You're just an asshole." I can here Zeke burst into laughter from behind the bar as I walk away.

The rest of the night goes pretty smoothly and before I know it, its closing time. Peter still hasn't gotten over what happened earlier, and it gets even worse when he has a table that is deep in conversation, refusing to leave even after he informed them we're closed. If it weren't Peter, I'd actually probably feel bad and offer to hang out with him until they left, but I have no sympathy for him. I'm about to walk out the front door when I hear footsteps behind me.

I turn my head to see Four catching up to me. It shouldn't still surprise me that he wants to walk me home every night, but for some reason, he cares enough to do it. Each night I'm flattered more than the last. This night is just like every other night. We talk about seemingly nothing and in the shortest fifteen minutes of my life, we are at the door to my building. The only difference is tonight, we walk closer together than we ever have before. Our fingers brush a few times, and I'm almost sure we're about to hold hands. But most different about tonight, is as we say goodnight, Four leans forward and kisses the top of my forehead before finishing his walk to his apartment, where ever that is. My heart almost leaps out of my chest.

 **A.N. I know it seems like everything is moving a little slow, but to me, it feels more genuine that way. It's not like FourTris is going to happen overnight! Still, leave me your comments and tell me how you feel. ALSO, I don't really know the etiquette of responding to reviews. So please, tell me how you feel! Is it something that a lot of authors do? I've responded to a couple, but I don't want anyone to feel left out. Seriously, I have like no idea what the protocol is. Okay, thank you as always!**

 **-dauntlessbybirth**


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N. Hello all! So I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for all the incredible reviews and support through the story so far. More than likely (and it will be kind of awkward if not) this chapter will put the story over 30K words, which may not seem like a lot if you are a serious writer, but for me, it's kind of unbelievable. But enough of my rambling, enjoy some more fun** **-dauntlessbybirth**

 _We talk about seemingly nothing and in the shortest fifteen minutes of my life, we are at the door to my building. The only difference is tonight, we walk closer together than we ever have before. Our fingers brush a few times, and I'm almost sure we're about to hold hands. But most different about tonight, is as we say goodnight, Four leans forward and kisses the top of my forehead before finishing his walk to his apartment, where ever that is. My heart almost leaps out of my chest._

The next week goes by in a blur. Four hasn't kissed me again like he did last week, but every night, I hope he does it again. He has to notice me practically leaning into him. Unfortunately, he has yet to give in. Naturally, Christina found out about it. I can still hear her shrieking in excitement in my head and I'm not sure I'll ever fully recover. She said she could tell when I wouldn't make eye contact with her or something. It all sounds completely ridiculous to me, but Christina always knows.

She keeps saying that I should just reach up and kiss him, but things like that are easier for Christina. It's one of the reasons I believe she is bolder than myself, braver even. She keeps saying it's the twenty-first century and I should get over this chivalry nonsense. She's probably right, but I won't admit it to her, not yet.

Every day at work, I can feel the tension in the air. I look up and his eyes are right on mine. I feel like I'm going to burst. Even at work, I don't get a break from the teasing Christina provides at home. Uriah has made sure of that. Whenever I'm not looking, he throws French fries at me and tries to ask me questions.

"Has he kissed you yet? When is the wedding? Will you name your kid after me?" It doesn't help that we're a lot slower now with the holiday coming up. Sometimes around a major holiday, we can count on people wanting to go out with their families a few days before. It doesn't seem like tonight is going to be one of those nights. The bar has been dead all night. There's been two tables and a few bar guests, but that's about it.

"I can't handle this anymore." Uriah says as he walks out of the kitchen. He presses his hands to his face and pulls down. Boredom is getting to us all.

"They let you out of the back? That's not good." I joke with him. His only response is a side-eyed glare. He starts arguing with Zeke about something and the two start throwing oranges and limes at each other. Laughter fills the bar and I find myself instantly filled with joy. There is never a dull moment in Dauntless. I almost don't hear the front door open.

"Cut it out you two. Uriah, get in the back. NOW." Eric yells from behind him. I roll my eyes at his comment. It's just another guest who is probably just as bored as we are. I turn my back, resting my elbows on the bar. It isn't until I see who walked in the door that my entire body tenses up and I figure out why Eric was so angry all of a sudden.

Marcus doesn't even break stride. He walks straight up to the bar and sits down. He and Four don't make eye contact and no drink order is given. He pours Marcus a drink before turning his back to him. I feel hotness rise up into my face. Who does he think he is? How can he just walk in here like nothing happened? Like he wasn't the one who caused the purple and green marks that are still on Four's face in the right light? My fists tighten.

"Tris." My concentration is broken and I notice Zeke standing next to me. Does he know? "It's not worth it. Trust me." He says before walking into the back to change a keg. I know in my head, I should take his advice, but it's easier said than done.

I'm already getting sat with another table, so I walk away from the bar to go greet them.

"Hey, how are you—"

"Two tall Bud Lights." My favorite kind of table. I don't respond. Instead, I turn to punch their order in the computer and wait back at my post, both eyes glued to the monster sitting at our bar. Four sees the ticket ring back and starts pouring the drinks. Even though his back is to Marcus, he is still just as tense as before.

It's interesting watching the two of them interact with each other, even though no words are spoken. On one end of the bar is the power that money buys, the power of knowing you never have to deal with a problem yourself because someone can always be bought to do it for you. On the other end of the bar is the power that experience gives you. It wasn't until now that I noticed just how scary Four can be. And now I know what it is from. This altercation with Marcus wasn't the beginning of something, it was just another event in a very long story. The hotness in my face is burning with more intensity.

Four and I make eye contact for a fraction of a second when he sets down my drinks. I grab them quickly and head back to my table. I don't particularly want him to know what I'm thinking right now. I drop the beers off at the table before quickly being shooed away. In hindsight, I'm glad my table doesn't really want to talk. I'm a little too distracted.

I start to walk into the kitchen when a strong hand wraps around my upper arm, turning me in the opposite direction. I'm standing six inches from Four and I can't tell if the look in his eyes is one of anger or desperation.

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it." He says.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tell him, even though it's a terrible lie.

"Tris, just let it go. It's not worth it." He says, and I start to feel even more frustrated than before. Hearing it from Zeke was bad enough, but hearing it from Four now just makes me angry.

"You can't make me not hate him, not after what he did." He seems surprised by my words and the anger in his eyes is replaced with confusion. He lets go of my arm before walking back to the bar. Marcus only stays for one drink tonight and because I'm standing by the service bar, I witness the awkward interaction of Marcus cashing out and not tipping. _Asshole._

He stands up and grabs his jacket off the back of the chair next to him.

"Tobias." I turn my head towards him when I hear this. If I hadn't been this close, I might have missed it. Is that Four? I must have been staring a little too hard, because Marcus turns and looks right at me. He doesn't say anything. He simply nods and walks out. The minute the door shuts behind him, it's like everyone released a breath they had been holding for hours. Uriah walks back out from the kitchen almost like the slam of the door called him out.

"Don't you just love holidays?" Four asks rhetorically. It didn't occur to me that this is probably a hard time of the year for him too. I momentarily forget the encounter with Marcus as Uriah starts complaining about how his parents are going out of town for the holiday, so he can't go steal their food. It makes me long for my Mom and Dad even more than I already do. It will be nice to have Caleb around, but there is still an emptiness that no one can fill. I wonder if Four feels the same way? As far as I know, Marcus is the only family he has. His holiday will probably be empty too.

"If you don't have plans for Thanksgiving, you can come over to my place. My roommate and her boyfriend will be there and my brother is flying into town." I say a little too loud. The invite was really meant for Four.

"We'd love too!" Uriah and Zeke almost say in unison.

"Great!" I say with a fake smile plastered to my face. Hopefully Christina doesn't mind a few extra guests. I look to Four for the answer I was originally looking for. He thinks about it for a moment.

"I'd love to." He says quietly.

"Perfect!" I exclaim. "I'll let Christina know." I also need to make sure I call Caleb tonight. I'm pretty sure he said his flight gets in tomorrow or the next day. _Come to think of it, I have no idea when he's supposed to be here._ I push the thought from my mind. I'll just check when I get home tonight. As usual, the rest of the night is slow and uneventful. I find myself feeling slightly nervous to have Four walk me home.

After a few minutes of silent walking, I decide that I need to speak up.

"Four, I need to tell you something." I say. He looks to me with eyebrows raised. "Well, it's not something you don't already know. I just need you to know that I know." I start to get the feeling that I'm rambling. The thought is only confirmed by Four's continued confusion.

"Okay?" He replies, a little unsure of what is to come next.

"I heard Marcus say your name. Your real name." My gaze doesn't break from him and I wait for a response. He looks forward, just like he used to, not meeting my eyes. Should I not have said anything? After a few moments, he beings to nod slowly.

"It's really not the worst thing in the world I guess." I breath a sigh of relief.

"To- Four. I just don't really understand why the nickname?" I've asked him this a million times before and even though I know I'm not going to get a response today, it just feels like a good time to ask.

"There are moments that define your life. You want to remember these moments, because more than anything else, they make up who you are. Four is a constant reminder of the one pivotal moment of my life, the moment that I decided that I wasn't going to let Marcus control my life anymore. In all actuality, Zeke came up with it, and it just kind of stuck." The words flow out of his mouth and I'm taken back by how easily he says it to me.

"Zeke? Really?" I'm definitely surprised by this.

"I know it seems odd, but he's been around for a lot longer than you would think. His family kind of took me in when I had nowhere else to go. Without them, I wouldn't have found Dauntless and God knows where I would be now."

I find myself at a loss for words, but I know that I don't want to end the conversation here. I feel like Four is finally going to open up and let me in, but to get more I know I'll have to give a little. Maybe this is the perfect time to tell him how I feel. I can see my building off in the distance.

"I know what it's like to be on your own. My parents were killed almost a year and a half ago and Caleb, my brother, went off to college. I know it's not the same as with Marcus." My words trail off.

"So that's the something else?" He asks. Now I'm the one that feels confused. "The first night I walked you home." He continues. "I asked why you moved to work at Dauntless and you said it was because you didn't really have any family and you needed something new. I told you that I almost believed you because there was always something more."

"I can't believe you remembered that." I don't lie. That night feels like ages ago. Not to mention, I always thought he wasn't really paying attention, especially with how he wouldn't look at me. We're finally approaching the front steps to my building. I'm silently praying that he doesn't say goodnight and walk away.

It seems my prayers are answered. Instead of turning to say goodbye to me, he sits down on the steps. However, I get the nagging feeling that even this doesn't feel right.

"Do you want to come upstairs?" I blurt the question out before I really even have time to think. I almost close my eyes, waiting for a response. Is this too bold?

"Um, yeah. Sure." He says. I can tell he's trying to hide a smile, but I know him better than that. He wanted me to ask him. He doesn't want to leave yet either.

I start to feel even more nervous as he follows me to the door to my building. I don't exactly know what the protocol for this is. We walk up the stairs and I start fumbling with my keys.

"Tris?" I turn to see Four standing even closer to me than he was before, his blue eyes piercing through me. I feel my keys drop out of my fingers and hear them hit the floor, but I don't move. I'm too lost in this moment. My face feels warm, and for a second, we just stand like this. Eventually, he starts to inch closer towards me. His lips are close to mine and more than anything, I want to pull him towards me.

"You know, I've never felt this close to anyone before." He says. I can feel his breath on me. I don't respond, I just look up and his eyes meet mine. This is the moment. This is the moment that will change everything. My heart is about to leap out of my chest and my face feel hot enough to explode. He tilts his head slightly to the side and I close my eyes, ready to let it happen.

Suddenly, the silence is broken as the front door of my apartment swings open. My back is to the door, so I have no idea who is standing behind me.

"Tris! I heard you fumbling with your keys and—wait a minute. Who the hell is this?" I turn around and stare right into the eyes of my very protective older brother.

 **A.N. Okay! That was a fun one! Again, please leave your comments and reviews. I also want to let everyone know that with July 4** **th** **being this weekend, I likely won't even begin writing the next chapter until Sunday night. I have a lot planned and none of it includes sitting inside at my computer** **And you shouldn't either! So, go enjoy a firework show or cook something on the grill, but most importantly, have an awesome weekend**

 **-dauntlessbybirth**


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N. Sorry for the slow update! I hope everyone had a great holiday (if you celebrate) and thank you again for your continued support!**

 _This is the moment that will change everything. My heart is about to leap out of my chest and my face feel hot enough to explode. He tilts his head slightly to the side and I close my eyes, ready to let it happen._

 _Suddenly, the silence is broken as the front door of my apartment swings open. My back is to the door, so I have no idea who is standing behind me._

" _Tris! I heard you fumbling with your keys and—wait a minute. Who the hell is this?" I turn around and stare right into the eyes of my very protective older brother._

I don't need to see a mirror to know that my face is red with embarrassment. My eyes shift quickly back and forth between a surprised Four and my even more surprised and slightly mortified brother.

"Caleb!" I yell, while pushing him back through the door. "Go back inside. We'll talk in a minute."

"You know, this really wasn't the welcome I expected!" He retorts, but I don't let him finish. Instead, I slam the door and my gaze returns to Four. The moment we had is obviously ruined. It feels like waking up from a really good dream. No matter how hard you try to fall asleep and go back in, deep down you know that it is over, and you'll just have to wait until next time.

"I take it that's your brother?" Four asks slowly, a smile playing at his mouth. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to upset.

"Yes, yes he is." I respond. I can feel the heat draining from my face. "I know I invited you up and all…" My words trail off. More than anything, I want him to be able to come inside and be alone with him. Especially because I know he'll remember it this time.

"Don't worry, I understand." He decides. We stand in awkward silence for a few moments. Neither one of us knows what to do, so I reach my arms around his neck and give him a quick hug goodbye. His entire body tenses when I do and it occurs to me that it might not have been the best gesture. If I'm not used to physical contact, he has to be even worse, considering his past.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow I guess? For dinner?" My face must give away more of my confusion than I think. "You know tomorrow is Thanksgiving right?" He asks again, a slight laugh in his tone.

"WHAT? OHHHHH." It all clicks together when he says this. I now understand why my brother is standing in my apartment right now wondering what the hell I'm doing with the mysterious guy outside the door. I had been so involved with Dauntless and Four that I had totally forgotten that tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

"Alright, well I'm going to go so you can explain…whatever you need to to your brother. Goodnight Tris." He says softly before turning to walk down the stairs to the front door.

"Goodnight Four." I reply. I'm about to go back inside, but I see him stop before heading down the stairs.

"You know," he starts. "You don't have to call me that. There's no point in pretending you don't know my real name. Besides, it's nice to hear it again and from you."

I'm not really sure how to respond. "Goodnight." I pause for a second. "Tobias." It sounds foreign coming out of my mouth, while still sounding better than 'Four'. It will take some time getting used to. He smiles at me again before continuing down the stairs.

I take a deep breath in before opening the door. Caleb is standing in the kitchen, with his eyes wide and his arms held open. I know he wants an explanation. In the real world, most older brothers would accept that their younger sister actually just likes someone and they would let it go. But this isn't the real world in Caleb's head. This is the world that his sister exiled herself too. I know he feels a sense of responsibility for me.

"Well?" He finally asks.

"Well what?" I can hear the frustration in my tone. "I work with him." I know that isn't the explanation he wants. Instead of letting the conversation go any farther, I close the gap between us and give my older brother the biggest hug I can muster. We never used to be this close, but it's amazing what a tragedy and separation can do to a family. When Caleb is around, it almost feels like nothing changed. Like Mom and Dad could walk into the room at any moment and my life could be normal.

It takes a few seconds for him to figure out what's going on before he relaxes and wraps his arms around me too, returning the hug.

"I missed you Bea." He says softly.

"I missed you too." After a few moments, I pull away and a yawn surprises me.

"I agree." He says very matter of factly. "Christina set me up in the guest room. We'll talk tomorrow?" He asks with a smile.

"Of course." I tell him. Before I get the chance to turn and walk away, Caleb speaks up one more time.

"How old is that guy anyway?" He asks, laughing through his words. I quickly grab a pillow from the couch and throw it at him as hard as I can. The laughter comes out of myself without effort. Family does wonders for the soul, even if they are the most annoying people on the planet.

The slamming of pots and pans jeers me awake the next morning. It doesn't surprise me that Christina wanted to get a head start on cooking. She doesn't do anything half way. I throw my legs over the side of my bed and let out a small groan. The only thing that will get me through today is gratuitous amounts of coffee. I slowly make my way out into the kitchen and see Christina giving my brother a list of instructions. When he sees me standing in the doorway, he gives me an automatic look of panic.

"I see you wasted no time in putting him to work." Christina glances over at me for a fraction of a second before handing me a stack of four plates.

"And I'm wasting no time with you either!" She explains. "You can start setting the table." It isn't until I look at the plates that I realized I never told Christina about my extended invitations.

"Actually, Christina. I invited Four over as well." I tell her and wait for the wrath. She doesn't even look at me before handing me another plate.

"Perfect! You finally have some sense with that boy." I look over to Caleb who seems even more uncomfortable than before. In reality, he's the only person that doesn't know what's going on between Tobias and I. "Besides," Christina continues "We'll have more than enough food as is."

She looks up at me and starts to frown. "It is just Four right?" She asks warily.

"Well, Uriah and Zeke might have picked up on the invitation too." I inform her. She makes a big sigh.

"Do you know how much those boys eat?" She asks. Caleb has started laughing behind her. They haven't even known each other a full twenty-four hours and he already knows I've sunk into dark territory.

I give her a big smile and an unnecessary hug. "You're so lucky I love you! I'll have to call Will and tell him to stop at the grocery store." She says, sounding slightly strained by my tight hug.

"Something tells me he won't mind!" And I don't think he will. I remember what Will told me the first time I met him at lunch, about letting myself be happy. This is the first step right? Having my friends, family, and the guy I like hanging out together?

Caleb and I follow Christina's preparations as strictly as possible. We take small breaks when something is still cooking or not quite ready to start yet. Caleb and I use the time to catch up on things we don't normally talk about on the phone.

He tells me about school and the new projects he's working on. From the sound of things, he might be graduating early. I tell him about Dauntless and all my ridiculous customers and about Zeke, Uriah, and Tobias. Although, I'm very careful to leave certain details out about the last of the boys.

I find myself laughing quite often throughout the day. Will arrives a few hours later, with grocery bags in tow. After a few introductions, he and Caleb start talking about a new piece of technology Caleb is working on at school. Just as I predicted, the two become fast friends. I head over to Christina and help her chop vegetables. She is starting to slow down from the whirlwind she became earlier.

"So I heard Four and your brother have already met?" She asks quietly, never changing her tone.

The knife almost slips out of my hands when I hear her say it.

"How did you find that out?" I ask her, a little louder than I originally planned. Her response doesn't need words. She just turns her eyes towards me. I'm assuming this means Caleb told her. Her powers even work on him

"It was no big deal." I start to explain. "He was going to come up to continue talking after he walked me home and I simply forgot that Caleb was arriving last night. That's all that happened, I swear." I tell her, trying to sound as sure of myself as possible.

"That's not what I heard…" She says, her voice trailing off. She smiles and nudges me in the side. "Don't worry, you know how I feel about the situation."

"Apparently, everyone has opinions on my love life!" I respond.

Dinner preparations come to an end and I hear my phone buzz from the kitchen counter.

 _Four: Can you let me in?_ It will take longer to respond than is necessary, so I slip on my shoes and head down the stairs. I wonder if I should change his name in my phone? No one else uses it, but I don't have a lock on it and I don't really want anyone asking who Tobias is.

I open the door to find a neatly dressed Tobias.

"Nice shirt." I say with a small laugh. He's wearing a black button down shirt. If I didn't know any better, I would say it's his work shirt, but it looks a lot nicer and way more expensive.

"Thanks. Only my best." He responds. We quickly find ourselves in a familiar situation, where we have no idea how to greet each other. I decide that today I might as well be bold. I grab his hand and wrap his fingers in mine. He doesn't automatically shrug away from the gesture, so I assume it's appropriate.

"I didn't know if I should bring anything…" he starts.

"It's fine really." I tell him. "We have more than enough food. Christina lives for this kind of stuff." As we reach the door, a thought quickly crosses my mind. "How old are you?" The words come out before I really have time to think.

I can tell by Tobias' expression that he's pretty confused. "Twenty-four." He answers. "Any reason you ask?"

"Nope!" I say quickly. I open the door to the apartment before the conversation can continue. We walk in and once again, make a round of introductions. I'm slightly worried about how my brother will react to officially meeting Tobias, but he plays it off very well and even offers him a beer. When Tobias isn't looking, I flash a twenty four with my fingers to Caleb. He rolls his eyes in response and all I can do is laugh.

Zeke and Uriah arrive a few minutes later, both look as excited as ever. I swear these boys never have a bad day.

As they walk into the apartment, Uriah hands me a pineapple. I've never felt more confused in my life.

"We figured we should bring something, but didn't know what. Wine is boring and Zeke said I couldn't bring tequila, so we settled on a pineapple." He explains.

"Well…that makes sense." I say, obviously lying. I hand the pineapple to Christina, who in turn hands it to Will, who immediately passes it to Caleb. Caleb turns to hand it to Tobias who immediately raises his hands and walks away.

We begin to file into seats at the table and everyone begins filling their plates. It's like a race for Zeke and Uriah, who can get the most the fastest. Christina shakes her head as she watches and Will has struck up another conversation with Caleb. I feel something grab at my hand under the table and I almost jump in surprise. Tobias' hand feels warm on mine and I know the smile on my face is too big to hide. The moment feels perfect. I turn to join the conversation that Will and Caleb have immersed themselves in.

"I was actually recently offered a position with a company that designs medical equipment for EMT's. They want to pay me while I finish my degree." He says, his face booming with pride for himself.

"Caleb, that's incredible!" I tell him, and I really mean it. This is something he should be proud of.

"And I'll be making more than enough money. You won't have to stay here anymore." He says the words so quickly, I almost don't hear them.

"What does that mean?" I ask slowly. The volume has dropped significantly in the room, which gives me the feeling that all the other conversation has stopped and all eyes are on my brother and I. But as far as I'm concerned, there is no one else in the room.

"Mom and Dad didn't want this for you. You don't have to play the martyr anymore, Beatrice." He says in his best big brother voice.

"Mom and Dad aren't here to voice that opinion." I tell him, choosing to ignore the martyr comment. I notice a little bit of my Dauntless attitude slipping into the conversation.

"Oh please." He continues, clearly frustrated. "It's no secret that you aren't happy. You haven't been since the accident Beatrice." My face is filling with heat. I can't believe he chose this moment to talk about this. I almost had a perfect holiday.

Without thinking, I stand up and head to the door, only pausing to momentarily grab my jacket. I can't let the people at that table see me cry. I don't have the protection of the shower walls or the camouflage of falling water. Any moisture falling from my eyes now will be seen by all.

I start running down the stairs of the building, running the heel of my hand across my face to catch any tears betraying me. I have no idea where I'm going, but the sound of my heart in my ears reminds me to keep moving. The pounding is so loud, that I don't hear the footsteps following me.

"Tris, stop." I hear Tobias yelling after me. I stop at the bottom of the stairs, ready to argue with anything he has to say. He doesn't know Caleb like I do, how stubborn he can be.

I start to open my mouth to say something, anything, but I'm immediately cut off when Tobias' arm wraps around my waist and his lips crash into mine. I didn't think it was possible, but my heart starts racing faster than it was before. In the middle of the most imperfect moment, Tobias found a way to make everything perfect. I let my body sink into his and enjoy the closeness and the feeling of his lips against mine. Any angry feeling I had before is replaced with immediate bliss.

 **A.N. And ladies and gentlemen, there it is! Leave your comments, because you know how they make me feel** **-dauntlessbybirth**


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N. WOW. First off, I want to thank everyone so much. I kind of figured the last chapter would get a lot of reviews for some pretty obvious reasons, but I never expected that. You guys are literally the best. I hope the rest of the story lives up to your expectations-dauntlessbybirth**

 _I start to open my mouth to say something, anything, but I'm immediately cut off when Tobias' arm wraps around my waist and his lips crash into mine. I didn't think it was possible, but my heart starts racing faster than it was before. In the middle of the most imperfect moment, Tobias found a way to make everything perfect. I let my body sink into his and enjoy the closeness and the feeling of his lips against mine. Any angry feeling I had before is replaced with immediate bliss._

When Tobias eventually pulls away, my mind is racing at a million thoughts a minute. I never want him to stop. My lips feel warm and my fingertips are tingling from excitement. I look up to meet his eyes, but I don't see my same thought reflected in him. His eyes are filled with worry and concern.

My heart sinks a little. Did he not like it? Does he regret it?

"I'm sorry." Are the only words that slip out of my mouth. It's the only thing I can think to say.

Tobias's eyebrows pull together in a frown.

"You're sorry?" He asks. "Why on earth would you be sorry?" He starts to laugh to himself and I can feel the heat of embarrassment crawl into my face. This is worse than I thought it would be.

I start to think I might cry before he wraps his arms around my tiny frame.

"Tris, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He finally says. "I know it wasn't great, but I didn't know what else to do. When I came down those stairs and saw the look on your face, all that anger and sadness, I just had to make it better. I can't stand to see you like that." I'm still somewhat stunned. This is the most I've heard Tobias talk about feelings in the entire time I've known him. A huge smile appears on my face.

"Something tells me I know exactly how long you've been waiting." I say when I find my words again. I've wanted him to kiss me for basically as long as I've known him, it just took a while for me to admit it to myself.

I'm lost in such bliss, that I almost forget that I ran out of an entire room full of friends and family.

"I need to go back upstairs and fix this." I tell him. He nods his head in agreement. I take his hand in mine and we start walking up the stairs together. Right before we reach the door of my apartment, I turn and look at him.

"I think I just need one more, you know, for strength." I say as I stand on tip toes to kiss him again. I worry that it won't be the same as our first kiss, that maybe we just found passion in the heat of the moment, but I'm instantly proven wrong. This is right and every inch of me knows it.

I open the door to the apartment to find Will, Christina, Zeke, and Uriah still sitting at the table. Some of the food is gone, but the scene looks almost the exact same as I left it. The only difference is my brother is gone.

Will stands up and pulls me to the side. Thankfully, Tobias goes back and sits down at the table. It probably won't take long before Zeke and Uriah pester him for information.

"Tris, Caleb is pretty upset. He thinks you've given up. I don't think this is an issue of him wanting his sister around, I think he's worried that you're settling. He went into your room."

"Thank you, Will. Please apologize for Christina to me." I give his arm a quick squeeze and head to my room. It's hard not to chuckle a little to myself. Only Caleb could find a way to turn this situation into an issue of who can be more selfless. On one side is me, putting my dreams aside so he can pursue his without the burden of a sister to support. On the other side is him, working a full time job as well as being a full time student to give his sister a chance to live.

I find Caleb sitting on the bed, his forearms resting on his legs. In his hands, he holds the picture of Mom and Dad.

"You know they wouldn't want this for you." He says, never looking up from the picture. In this moment, he looks as fragile as the day we lost them.

"Mom and Dad wouldn't want any of this." I tell him softly. "Caleb," I start. "I would give the world to be able for us to live a normal life. I want to go to school, and I want to visit you on the weekends, and I want to get in trouble, and I want to have fun. But this is my life right now. Those people in the other room mean the world to me and if I left to move to California with you, I would just be the little sister that is still following her big brother around." This isn't the first time we've had this conversation and I know it won't be the last.  
"I just want to make them proud." He says after a few seconds. It doesn't take any more explanation. I know exactly what he means. He sets the picture frame down and turns to me with a slight smile on his face.

"I think I need pie." He says, very matter of factly. I can't help but laugh.

"Pie isn't going to work here." I inform him. "What you need is a pineapple."

We walk back into the kitchen and by now, everyone has forgotten the outburst. Will and Christina are sitting close together on the couch and Zeke and Uriah are trying to tell Tobias a funny story, but can't seem to get through their words without laughing. Tobias' faked amusement is priceless. When he sees Caleb and I walk back into the room, he immediately gets up, leaving Zeke and Uriah looking somewhat disappointed.

"Crisis averted?" he asks in my ear. His hand rests softly on my hip. The instant he touches me, Christina perks up and look over the back of the couch. We make eye contact and it takes all she has to contain her excitement.

"For now." I tell him.

"I guess that's all you can ask for." He pauses for a moment and I can tell he has a question for me.

"Are you okay?" I ask slowly.

"You said you needed strength from me today and I hope I gave it to you. I was wondering if you could do the same for me. Give me strength I mean." He says.

I don't even have to think about it. "Of course." I tell him.

We said our goodbyes to everyone at the apartment. Christina gave me a wink before I left. She knows exactly what happened in that stair well without having to be told. I walk with Tobias for a little while, but he hails the first cab he sees. Wherever we're going, it's not in this part of the city.

I sit close to him in the backseat and I can feel his body tensing. He wasn't kidding when he said he needed strength from me.

Eventually, the cab stops in front of a very tall building. Tobias hands the driver a stack of bills and tell him to keep the change. We walk up to the front of the building and a man holds open the door for us. We silently walk passed him, through the lobby of the building, and straight to the elevators. Once inside, Tobias hits the button for the penthouse floor. The elevator slowly begins to rise. Tobias turns to face me, my back against the elevator wall.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask him. It's the first words we've spoken in almost an hour.

He keeps his eyes closed and leans in towards me. He doesn't say anything. The doors of the elevator slowly open.

When they open, I'm slightly taken back by what I see. However, everything starts to fall into place as well. The penthouse apartment is furnished in a way that seems slightly fitting to what I know about Marcus. Everything is grey, but sleek and new. It almost looks like no one lives here at all. Tobias walks right in, past a hall closet and a few minimalistic paintings on the walls. The foyer opens up into a large dining room filled with men in grey and black suits. Some turn their heads to look at Tobias, but most don't even acknowledge him. I know we stand out like a sore thumb, both in jeans.

"These people can't be your family." I say to him. I half don't expect him to answer, sensing how alert he is from far away.

"In Marcus' world, family is irrelevant. There are only enemies and allies." He informs me. I still have yet to see Marcus.

"So who are these people?" I ask slowly.

"Both." He replies. A man dressed in a black dress shirt and a tie offers us two glasses of some drink. The scent of it burns my nose. I take it and tell him thank you, sipping at it gingerly. Tobias throws the whole drink back in one gulp and sets the glass back on the tray. It's becoming more evident as to why he asked me to come. This could easily turn into another drunken night on my couch.

Soon after we receive our drinks, Marcus strides into the room. If I didn't know any better, I would say the smile he gives to Tobias and I is genuine. I would say that he is excited his son is here to spend a holiday with his father and in reality, maybe he is. However, I know the feeling isn't reciprocated.

"Hello, son." He says to Tobias confidently. "I see you brought a friend to dinner." He extends his hand to me. I reach out to return the gesture, still a little too stunned to speak.

"Father, this is Beatrice." He says. When Tobias says my full name, it sounds formal and wrong. The only person who calls me Beatrice anymore is Caleb, and even then it sounds out of place. Why did Tobais choose to use it now? "And we unfortunately can't stay for dinner. Beatrice's friends are waiting for her." He turns to me for validation.

"Yes" I respond almost instantly. "My older brother flew into town last night and I can't stay long." It feels odd to lie to someone I've never spoken to before.

"Well that is a shame." Marcus replies. "I won't keep you long. You've met your part of the agreement."

After this, there is no more discussion. We don't stay to eat or meet any of the other people in the apartment and Tobias doesn't give his father a goodbye. He simply nods his head, turns on his heels, and walks back to the elevator. I don't know what else to do except follow him, leaving my drink on a table in the hallway. The encounter lasted no more than fifteen minutes.

Once in the confines of the elevator, Tobias loosens up again. It feels like I have been with an entirely different person for the last hour. The Tobias that I know doesn't let people get under his skin. He's the Tobias that stood up for me against Peter, the one who made me calm after Caleb almost ruined my Thanksgiving. It almost makes me wish he had walked into the apartment as Four, not Tobias.

"Do you want to explain?" I ask, feeling frustration in my voice.

"There is a reason Marcus comes to Dauntless at random times. I don't feel any good feelings towards him. I didn't want to spend a holiday with my father and I didn't want to go to dinner with him that night I ruined your…date." He begins. "Tris, when I left home it wasn't a pretty sight. Marcus and I have just gotten into an...argument. It was the first time I ever hit him back. But it wasn't enough. I needed him to hurt more and I didn't care how. I took one of his cars from the garage and started to drive out of town. I ended up flipping it on the highway. When the police found me, they were going to charge me with grand theft auto, reckless endangerment, and probably a million other things. But Marcus was smarter than that. He bailed me out. I don't even know how much the car cost, but I know it wasn't cheap. He agreed that he would let everything slide if I didn't try and run again."

"And not because he loves his son." I say quietly, realization hitting me like a train.

"Exactly." He continues. "He knows this is the only way to keep me in control. If I run again, he's going to come after me for the money I owe him. And when you're as powerful as Marcus is, you have very effective methods."

"How much is it?" I ask warily.

"A little over fifty grand. I don't think the deal he made with the police was exactly legal. He knows I can't pay it." I can feel my mouth begin to dry up. I don't know how to respond. It feels surreal, like out of a movie.

"Why are you called Four?" I ask. I don't know why it comes to my mind now.

"That's how many times the car flipped." He tells me, not even hesitating. "They said it's a miracle I survived. Zeke started calling me Four while I was recovering, to make light of a shitty situation. The nurses and doctors picked up on it. Eventually I wasn't Tobias anymore, just Four."

I wish I could help him, say something to make it all better or tell him that we can find the money together, but I can't. Nothing I can say or do can make this go away. It eats me up inside. In my mind, I always thought that my situation was bad, but it seems I have found something far more terrifying. I would give anything to have my parents back in my life, to have them hover over me, and fret about how often I see them. But this is not the same. This isn't the love of a parent, this is a prison sentence. When we finally walk out of the lobby, the cold wind hits my arms. But the chill that is sent down my spine isn't from the air, but from the man who is fifty stories above us, watching us walk away. He knows that Tobias is almost in his grasp. Almost.

 **A.N. I know there was quite the wait between updates, but for good reason. This chapter was always kind of in my head, but when I got to writing it, it was hard to make it sound authentic while trying to stay true to the characters. I know it's not perfect, and maybe one day I'll change it, but for now, the stage is set.-dauntlessbybirth**


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